Best laid plans go down in history

Original plans for Blenheim’s picturesque Seymour Square included a reflecting pool and a band rotunda, it has been revealed.

Council’s Parks and Open Spaces and Heritage Marlborough teams have unearthed the original plans for the town centre space.

The 75-year-old discovery comes after The New Zealand Gardens Trust recently awarded the town centre gardens four stars, sparking fresh interest in its history.

Heritage Marlborough Manager Liz Ward says after the Second World War the government encouraged communities to remember the war in the form of community spaces.

“There was a fund available for building memorials that provided cultural and recreation spaces.

“This could be why Council looked at converting Seymour Square into a war memorial garden at the time,” she explains.

In the 1950 plan by Ernest Hubbard a new band rotunda was set to be built

The idea later scrapped as the way people listened to music was changing, Liz explains.

“The fact that the idea of band rotunda was abandoned also says something about changing leisure habits of the time.

“With widespread radio ownership no one needed to go to a park to listen to music as it was available at home.

“These plans never came to fruition and instead the existing band rotunda was demolished, and the current fountain was built as a memorial to those from Marlborough who served in the war.”

Council holds many local history gems in its local authority archive including minutes, registers, maps, plans and photographs, with some dating back to the 1860s.

Council’s Parks and Open Spaces Manager Jane Tito says the one-hectare area was set aside in 1857 and initially used for rugby and cricket.

“Today Seymour Square is a much-loved park of which we can all be very proud,” she says.

“The New Zealand Garden Trust’s four-star rating is wonderful recognition for the garden team, led by Brad Moloney, who spend many hours to ensure all Council parks and gardens are in great shape for locals and visitors.”