Bob Berry (dendrologist)
| Robert James Berry | |
|---|---|
| Born |
11 June 1916 Gisborne, New Zealand |
| Spouse(s) | Lady Anne Berry (married 1990–present) |
Robert James (Bob) Berry (born 11 June 1916) is a New Zealand dendrologist who founded Hackfalls Arboretum at his farm in Tiniroto, Gisborne. The arboretum is now known for having one of the largest collections of Mexican oaks in the world. During the 1950s and 1960s he was in regular contact with William Douglas Cook, the founder of Eastwoodhill Arboretum, Ngatapa, Gisborne. Berry made the first catalogues of this arboretum, which is now the National Arboretum of New Zealand.
Berry was born in Gisborne in 1916. His grandfather was originally from Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England, and had settled in the East Coast area of the North Island of New Zealand in 1889. In 1916 the Berry family bought the majority of Abbotsford Station from the Whyte family, the first European settlers in the area of Tiniroto, a small rural settlement, about halfway along the inland road between Gisborne and Wairoa. The original property of the Berry family at Tiniroto, called Hackfalls, was sold. The name lapsed, but was then used again for the new property, in 1984.
As Berry grew older he developed an interest in trees for their beauty and botanical interest. Most farmers, like his father, planted trees mainly for shelter, timber and fencing, and fruit crops. Long shelterbelts of poplars separate the paddocks and the properties at Tiniroto. During the weekends Berry planted and maintained his growing collection of more unusual trees. Most of the trees were planted around Lake Kaikiore and in the pasture between Lake Kaikiore and Lake Karangata. Berry took over management of the farm in 1950. From this time on his interest and enthusiasm for what had been a hobby reached a new level.
Berry's interest in trees was strongly influenced by William Douglas Cook, the founder of Eastwoodhill Arboretum. In 1953, as a member of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, Bob Berry took part in a trip to Eastwoodhill Arboretum. He became a frequent visitor of Eastwoodhill and Douglas Cook offered advice and support to Berry concerning the arboretum at Abbotsford Station.
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Wikipedia