Waimate Mayor and Mayoress, John and Sandra Coles, planted the tree to mark the start of 750-tree totara forest at the Bushtown Heritage Park.
As Mr Coles pointed out, totara was one of the main reasons why Waimate was settled. The original totara forests surrounding the town were cut for timber, he said, and Bushtown Heritage Park wanted to re-create that forestry and sawmilling heritage.
Mr Coles said Bushtown represented another step in the long journey of development in the area.
"We need the passion of future generations to continue what we have started," he said.
Bushtown Heritage Park chairman Allan Laurie said the nine seedlings planted yesterday would start re-creating a forest on 2.5ha at the 8ha site bounded by Racecourse and Dobson Sts at the eastern end of the town.
All the seedlings have been grown from seeds taken from totara trees around Waimate.
Trees are being sold for $550 each, which will raise about $400,000 for the Bushtown development. They will be planted over the next four years.
Each tree will have a plaque recording the donor and be marked by GPS co-ordinates so families can find them in the future. They will be cared for by Bushtown volunteers and management.
In addition, about 20,000 other native plants will be planted around the site.
Mr Laurie described the project "as being about community heritage and pride".
