Rod Syme Place (Hāwera)

Roderick Syme was a passionate advocate for the environment of Taranaki, particularly in the fields of agriculture and mountaineering. Born in Hāwera in 1900, he trained as a teacher before he took up a position of agricultural instructor for the Taranaki Education Board. During his time there, he developed agricultural clubs at schools to encourage an active interest in the land and its uses. This became a national initiative for schools across New Zealand. A major project he promoted was the planting of thousands of native trees in the Turuturumōkai reserve as a 1940 centennial project. He retired as Senior Agricultural Advisor in 1961.

His other great passion was mountaineering. He made 227 ascents of Mount Taranaki and formed the Mt. Egmont Alpine Club in 1928. He and other club members backpacked the materials onto the site to build Syme Hut on Fanthams Peak. He climbed in the Southern Alps as well and, in 1931, found a new ridge route on Mount Tasman; the ridge now bears his name. Back home he was instrumental in setting up a search and rescue organisation on Mount Taranaki, while also being heavily involved in setting up the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand.

He served on numerous committees and boards, including Egmont and Tongariro National Parks Boards, and the National Parks Authority of New Zealand. He was awarded an MBE in 1955 for his services to mountaineering and agricultural education. In his later years he received a Nature Conservation Council citation and the Loder Cup in 1986 for his work in protecting New Zealand native flora.

Rod Syme passed away in Hāwera on 2 May 1994. His ashes are interred at the Hāwera Cremation Old Lawn Cemetery.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.