New future looms for a former asylum and its 'enchanted forest'
At the time it was the country’s worst fire, claiming the lives of 37 women locked in a psychiatric hospital.
Now all that remains of the former Seacliff Lunatic Asylum, about 30km north of Dunedin, are some stone remnants and a few smaller buildings in private ownership.
The Robert Lawson-designed building was the largest commissioned in the country when it opened in 1884, but was plagued by issues, including landslips, before the fatal fire on December 8, 1942.
A resulting inquiry determined the asylum, which later housed noted author Janet Frame, was well past its use by date, but it would remain open until 1973.
Part of that site now forms the Truby King Reserve, a recreation area of about 16 hectares.
The Dunedin City Council, which was given power over the land from the Department of Conservation in 1991, will discuss a management plan for the reserve on Tuesday.
An extensive report on the reserve noted the importance of the asylum’s history, which represented “the evolution of mental health care in New Zealand”.
Changing norms and methods of treatment coupled with the instability of the land under the institution led to its eventual closure, the report notes.
The site was named after Plunket pioneer Sir Frederic Truby King, with his recommendations including patients growing their own food grown in the substantial gardens.
The reserve’s “enchanted forest” has hundreds of specimen trees planted by King, a botany enthusiast.
The report noted many of the trees were unsafe, and an audit was required.
The reserve, which has stone remnants of the former asylum, also includes an historic cricket ground, tennis court and community orchard.
The council was advised to approve the new management plan, which will include a new car park, picnic and barbecue area, and new signage tracing the footprint of the historic building.
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.8% Summer
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36.7% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
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