Pembroke Park, A History

Earthquakes and Ice
For much of the last 100,000 years Pembroke Park was under ice. The glaciers that scoured out the Wānaka and Hāwea valleys advanced in stages, with the last advance (the Hāwea advance, 15,000 years ago) depositing the moraines around the Wānaka township. Pembroke Park itself is an old beach terrace from when the lake extended further East.

Pre-human
After the glaciers retreated the soils were populated by Mataī forest and trees from the myrcetae family, predominently Mānuka. These forests and shrublands hosted parrots (Kākā and Kea) and parakeets, Moa and Weka, long-tailed Pekapeka/bats, numerous skinks, geckos and frogs with predatory Kāhu, Kārearea and the apex predator, the Haast Eagle.[1]

People-related changes
The arrival of humans around 1300 AD brought fire and extinctions. Mataī forest cover retreated and was replaced by the common bracken fern, spikey matagouri and tussocks. The larger birds were pushed to extinction by a mix of hunting, fire, local climate change, Kiore (the Polynesian rat) and Kurī (dogs). Māori settlements in the area were still well supplied by Weka, other mid-sized birds, lizards and prolific Tuna (eel) from the lake. The settlement closest to this park was Take Kārara, which was a Whare Wānaka – place of learning. The entirety of Roy’s Bay was available to the residents as a Mahika Kai (place of food gathering) and artefacts have been gathered from places nearby, such as Bullock Creek.

Quakes and Floods
Geological interruptions likely happened in 1717 when alpine fault last ruptured which likely triggered tsunamis from landslides. Geological evidence is that the Alpine Fault slips about every 300 years in quakes of 8+ on the Richter scale, with sideways movement of 8m and 3m vertical. The effect on the settlements is unknown, but can be imagined. Part of Pembroke Park also sits atop the Cardona-Hāwea earthquake fault, which has created a monocline slip to the South near the cemetery[2]. The lake also inundates this area from time to time, especially when high from snow melt in springtime. There was extensive flooding in 1863 and a massive flood in 1878, but rumour of an even larger flood about 1800, well above the 1878 flood.[3]

The settler invasion
By the time European settlers arrived on the edges of Lake Wānaka, Kāi Tahu were centred in coastal areas and visits to the interior were less frequent. The settlers were intent on turning the land to pastoral farming – primarily sheep farming and burnt off the ground cover to encourage flushes of new growth palatable to sheep. Imported clover and grasses improved the grazing, although lots of weeds came as well such as briar rose and Californian poppy. Pembroke Park formed part of the Wānaka Station (licensed to Robert Wilkin) and then Henry Campbell, but by early 1880s was ‘cut up’ to form the town of Pembroke.

[24] Potential Habitat and Vegetation Types, https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/87611f79878744679176d30cfb066eb4/page/Map/
[25] GNS Consultancy report, https://www.orc.govt.nz/media/6621/gns_cr2018-207_queenstown-lakes-and-central-otago_active-faults.pdf
[26] Clutha Leader, Volume XLV, Issue 100, 20 June 1919, Page 5, Https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CL19190620.2.18

Surveys and towns ‘Wanaka Town’

‘Wanaka town’ was surveyed by J.A. Connell in April 1863 with sections covering 2/3rds of modern Pembroke Park. But flooding in July of the same year and a massive flood in 1878 meant that building on Pembroke Park was problematic. Few of the sections south of the Dungarvon Street were ever built upon due to the awareness of the flood risk. The township was named Pembroke and the open area of the Pembroke flats became a commonage where anyone could let their animals graze. Ida Darling (of the Norman family) recorded:

“Quite a number of families owned a house cow and these cows all grazed on Pembroke Flat (then called the commonage), and along the Wanaka Station lane (now Mt Aspiring Road). When the older children walked along to get their own cows, all the cows would come with them and even the cows without an attendant would always go to the respective house to which it belonged.”

The Rabbit Plague
The arrival of the rabbit plague in the late 1870s created huge challenges for all the farmers and the commonage was not spared. Rabbits out-competed livestock for anything edible and sheep did starve in the area. Rabbit control became all important with any method considered. Trapping and shooting killed thousands. Phosphorous and strychnine baits were perhaps most effective, but unfortunately native birds, especially Weka, would eat those and became effectively extinct in the area. The commonage was riddled with rabbit warrens (Warren Street may not be named for the rabbits, but the Rabbit Control Board office was there). In 1915 the Secretary of the Commonage committee was fined for failing to control rabbits. When golf became a popular pastime after 1900s and a golf course was established on the commonage (with fenced off greens), rabbit holes were a constant frustration.

“Golf was first mooted by Mr C Turnbull in 1900's, played round the flat. The Anglican was the only building there, and no trees or recreation ground. Balls were often lost in rabbit holes. I can remember Dad playing here, driving off from about where W Anderson now lives, behind the site of Tucker's shop. I am sure Tom began there. They moved to the present links well into the 1920's I'd say. Most of the male players made a putting green and named it.”

Jean Anderson, Wanaka History, Upper Clutha History Society

The existing fauna of the area has been enormously affected by rabbits. Anything edible is nibbled to ground level, and the main survivors are plants that rabbits won’t eat.

Drowning the Park
In 1940 efforts to increase tourism lead to the renaming of Pembroke to Wānaka to better associate with the lake. Control of the Commonage was given to the Electricity Department who were planning to dam and raising all the Southern lakes for electricity generation. The modern town of Wānaka would have been entirely flooded, potentially to the level of the modern golf course. The raising of Lake Hāwea in the 1950s increased concerns and opposition formed the Hands off Wānaka Lake (with the brilliant acronym HOWL) to stop the plans. Finally in 1971 the Electricity Department ceded its interest and Lake County Council took it over as a reserve and took the opportunity to rename it to Pembroke Park as a result of a competition. But the park was only fully safe with the passing of the Lake Wānaka Preservation Act in 1973.

Town Halls and other threats

With the Park safe from human flooding (but still prone to Lake Wānaka flooding) various proposals were made to site community facilities on it, create kiosks and ornamental gardens or remove Ardmore Street to better connect the park to the lake. Plans for a very large community hub in 1970 were revisited in 1994 as the old Town Hall was in serious decay. In both cases opposition stopped the developments, but there was strong support as well. “the vociferous minority have had their way too long” wrote a supporter, while an opponent wrote “To try and change even part of this from a Reserve is very short sighted - almost criminal.” and “… stupid and short sighted.”

We need a friend in need
In 1996 Friends of Pembroke Park coalesced from previous groups to resist any further attempts at reclassification or large-scale buildings being placed on the Park. Their advocacy led to fencing, paths and other improvements, including a resurfacing and irrigation system being installed in 2004. Some do regret this resurfacing replaced the self-sown Californian poppies (unpalatable to rabbits) that covered the park in orange-yellow every summer.

Skaters, horses and stalls
The popularity of Snowboarding drew many young people to Wānaka, many who also were skateboarders. They were eager to create a vert ramp and settled on Pembroke Park. The Wānaka Community Board supported the initiative, and they approached Friends of Pembroke Park for their backing as well. Perhaps surprisingly, The Friends supported this development so long as they kept height to a minimum. So, a large vert ramp became a bowl and several inter-connected lower ramps and became a focal point for youth. The Skateboard Club has a key role in controlling graffiti and anti-social behaviour.

The Agricultural and Pastoral Show (now named the Wānaka Show) outgrew their official showgrounds in the 1990s and horses were often hosted on Pembroke Park. In 2004 the Show took over a large part of the Park with agreement of the Council and does so every year since, with hundreds of stalls and amusements.