DREAMERS OF THE DAY

A History of  Auckland's Regional Parks
Graeme Murdoch
Random House NZ - $60

As the Auckland Regional Council is subsumed in to the Auckland "super city" the publishing of this large handsome hardback is extremely timely. I have long admired the ARC and its various predecessors for their vision and commitment since 1964 in establishing the superb network of parks that we can a;; enjoy today. I salute them all and offer my warm thanks.

‘This book will inspire the reader to visit Auckland’s regional parks ... more often. But on a winter’s day when perhaps inclement weather makes staying at home more suitable, one hopes the reader, perhaps sitting by the fire, can still venture forth in imagination to these sublime natural landscapes.’ – Mike Lee, Chairman, Auckland Regional Council.
Mike Lee is the last of the Council's Chairs but I am very pleased that he has been elected to the new Auckland City Coucil so that continuity between the old regional Council and the new city Council can be maintained so that these glorious regional parks will be maintained and hopefully more added.

Dreamers of the Day: A history of Auckland’s regional parks is the story of the origin and evolution of parks in the wider Auckland area including Tawharanui, Wenderholm, Muriwai, Omana, Hunua, and Piha. Because of Auckland Regional Council’s emphasis on working with the community, it commissioned this beautifully illustrated book to inspire individuals throughout the region and to honour the creation and development of these and many other unique parks.

When established in 1964, the Auckland regional parks network contained the Auckland Centennial Memorial Park, 5249 hectares. Now, after 47 years, the network encompasses 40,000 hectares of land and includes 69 per cent of the region’s public open space. The parks have become a significant part of the region’s economy and also contain numerous sites that reflect 800 years of human settlement and culture within New Zealand.

‘The regional parks are an incredible asset for the people of Auckland. Developments in the last few years have shown the vast range of opportunities presented by regional parks. Such things as the Bach Escapes, the southern kayak/waka trail, coastal trails linking to wider walkways, overnight long trails, sculpture, and art on parks, show the potential for more innovative projects which will add to people’s enjoyment of parks, and that these can be provided by the public sector.’

As well as the politics of land acquisition, recreational opportunities offered and development planning, the book covers personal stories of those involved in the parks on an everyday basis: what it was like to live as a park ranger’s wife, a day in the life of a cadet ranger, and more. The author delves into the personalities, visions, and deeds of those ‘dreamers of the day’ who dedicated themselves to saving the precious lands throughout the region.

About the author:

Graeme Murdoch, an Auckland native, is a self employed historic heritage consultant and author with an MA in history. After working as a secondary teacher for 17 years, Graeme was employed by the ARC Group as a historian from 1988-1998 and then as ARC Director Heritage from 1998-2006. However, his association with Auckland’s regional parks started during childhood. When working as an assistant ranger in the Waitakere Ranges in 1965, he helped prepare the first regional park, Wenderholm, for opening.

Since then, Graeme has researched, lectured and written extensively on many aspects of Auckland’s human and regional history. He continues to write of the parks’ histories, such as in the Our History booklet series, and takes occasional guided walks throughout the regional parks.