The Waihī community has shown its support for a butterfly garden that was recently vandalised, with all of the original donors working to restore what was lost.
Sometime after 4pm on Tuesday, April 15, a vandal entered the garden – along the Mill Stream walkway – and wantonly destroyed seats and hand-built features such as a bridge and the favoured fairy house.
The following day, a fire broke out at the same site.
The garden’s founder, Penryn Ballinger, said Police had been notified of the destruction, but no outcome had yet been determined.
However, she didn’t believe the damage or blaze had been caused by children, as the crime had an element of intent.
“An area of ground was burnt just below the entrance to the Mill Stream Walkway and garden; three good-sized rimu were burnt, which will be lucky to survive,” she said. “If the two big old pines adjacent had caught fire, it would have been a very big blaze.”
Inside the garden, a pine tree seat, bridge, fairy house, and fairy house seat had been vandalised while no damage was done to the plantlife.
“Kids love the garden, and especially the fairy house, and they have been devastated by its destruction,” Penryn told The Profile.
“We were all in shock when we first saw the damage, but it pulled the community together, and their heartfelt support on Facebook was very reassuring.”
Penryn, who alongside the Waihī Herb Society established the memorial garden back in 2021, said the original donors of the vandalised articles had all come forward to repair the damage, while David Anderson, managing director of In Ch-it Plumbing, had offered to replace the fairy house.
“His employee, Mike the builder, will be getting on with the build now that the weather has calmed down,” she said. “The company plans to make the fairy house rebuild a family affair and will invite children in to help paint it.
“We’ve also had contact from the community offering working bees, money, and even an art installation as the Butterfly Garden is a beautiful place to visit and the community have taken it to heart.”
The garden was established with the help of Habitat Enhancement and Landcare Partnership (HELP) Waihī, who cleared the bush of privet, blackberries, and wattles, and instead planted natives.
The Herb Society then spent a solid three months planting 1200 swan plants and 600 cosmos flowers, and creating paths that weaved through the bush.
Since then, the garden has become a beloved community affair, with the Keas from the 1st Waihī Scout Group wheelbarrowing in loads of donated mulch; and ladies from Hetherington House painting rocks to leave behind for young children to find.
The garden’s co-ordinator, Sheryl Parkinson, would also love to have more hands on deck to help with light weeding and garden maintenance, Penryn said. She and her band of volunteers meet every Friday morning, from 9am-11am.
BY KELLEY TANTAU
