Apprentices graduate as garden celebrates 160 years

One of Dunedin’s longest running institutions has two reasons to celebrate this weekend.

The Dunedin Botanic Garden marked its 160th anniversary on Friday.

Also, three of the garden’s apprentices graduated.

Dunedin Botanic Garden manager, Alan Matchett, said the graduation coincided nicely with the anniversary and was ‘‘another important day in the history of the garden,’’ for both these reasons.

Mr Matchett said the garden was one of the longest running institutions in Dunedin.

The gardens apprenticeship had run on-and-off again since 1885, with the present programme having started in 2003.

While the apprentices were completing horticultural qualifications through Otago Polytechnic Te Pūkenga and the Primary Industries Training Organisation, the garden offered an additional qualification as a finishing
touch.

This added more value to their qualification and provided them with skills from working hands-on in the garden, such as plant-identification.

One of the apprentices, Zane Gray, would undertake an extended year of additional training as an intern at the garden.

Mr Matchett said the 160th celebrations were low key, with a small ceremony today for the Friends of the Dunedin Botanic Garden group along with events running from 11am until 2pm.

There would be a more formal celebration at the Dunedin Heritage Festival later in the year.

tim.scott@odt.co.nz