Karori Historical Society

Our next public meeting will be held on Tuesday 4 March 2025 at St Ninian’s, Newcombe Crescent, Karori at 7.30 pm. Members and friends welcome!

Clare Gleeson – Alfred Buxton and His Gardens

Alfred Buxton is the father of landscaping in New Zealand. From 1900 to the mid-1940s, his company designed over 350 private and civic gardens throughout the South Island and much of the North. Extensive and expensive, a ‘Buxton garden’ was highly desirable, and the cachet associated with owning one still exists today.

The presentation will look at Alfred Buxton and his gardens with particular reference to Homewood in Karori and the Mungavin garden in Porirua.

Clare has a PhD in history from Victoria University of Wellington. Her book on Alfred Buxton, The Fairer Side of Buxton: Alfred Buxton’s gardens and the women who loved them, was published by Cuba Press in November 2024, and she has written on New Zealand’s garden history for a number of publications, including Journal of New Zealand Studies, New Zealand Listener and New Zealand Gardener.

Clare will have copies of her book for sale on the evening, at $60 per copy. Supper will be served after the meeting.

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday 4 March.