Myers Park, Auckland
| Myers Park | |
|---|---|
The palm-lined main path, upper part of the park.
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| Type | Public park |
| Location | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Area | 2.4ha² |
| Created | 1914 |
| Operated by | Auckland Council |
| Status | Open year round |
| Myers Kindergarten | |
|---|---|
Myers Free Kindergarten building in Myers Park.
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| General information | |
| Type | Kindergarten |
| Architectural style | Arts & Crafts architecture |
| Location | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Address | 381 Queen Street, Auckland |
| Current tenants | KiNZ |
| Construction started | 1915 |
| Completed | 1917 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Chilwell & Trevithick |
| Designated | 26-Nov-1981 |
| Reference no. | 619 |
Myers Park is a narrow park in central Auckland, New Zealand, running parallel to the upper part of Queen Street. It is characterised by steep, grassed slopes and canopied with a mixture of large exotic and native trees, including an alley of large palm trees.
A playground, benches and various artworks (including a marble copy of Michelangelo's sitting Moses statue) are features of the park. Paths cross the park connecting to Queen Street, K Road, Grey's Avenue and Aotea Square.
Opened in 1915 Myers Park is sometimes referred to as Auckland's oldest park which is incorrect as several parks predate it; the Auckland Domain 1842, Western Park 1875, Albert Park 1884, Victoria Park 1905, Point Erin Park 1911 and Parnell Park 1913 (now Dove-Myer Robinson Park).
Running downhill from the northern slope of the Karangahape ridge, the park was formed in 1914-15 out of an overgrown gully facing towards the Waitemata Harbour.
The gully was the start of the Waihorotiu Stream, also known as the 'Queen Street River'. As it followed the route of Queen Street below Victoria Street the open stream became polluted, its lower reaches being little more than an open sewer. Several modifications were made, in the 1870s the City Engineer Mr Ligar tried to stabilise the crumbling earth banks by creating wooden barrier walls resulting it ir being referred to as the "Ligar Canal".
In the 1880s it was bricked over as part of the emerging storm-water and sewerage system. It is now completely underground but still discharges into the harbour beneath the Ferry Building at the bottom of Queen Street. The last portions of the stream to be put underground were the lower part of what is now Myers Park in 1908 and the upper reaches in 1914 when the park was created.
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