The Heritage Christchurch plaque located beside the path near the tree reads;
'This tree was planted on eight acres of land purchased by Joseph Hadfield in 1865. Hadfield and his family, of Derbyshire, England, arrived on board the
Mersey in Canterbury on 25 September 1862. The Hadfield Homestead originally stood on this site. This plaque was erected in 1998 by Hadfield's great-grandsons, Errol, Anthony, Martin and Roger Hadfield.'
Historical images shown include a 1888 image of Clara & Florence Hadfield and the 1903 wedding of Leonard Norton Hadfield and Amy McConkey. The elm can clearly be seen in the background.
The largest known specimen of this species in NZ was recorded in the Christchurch Botanic Garden[1] (see tree CR/1255). The Hadfield Elm surpasses this tree by a considerable margin and is now the largest known specimen in the country (Cadwallader, B.G., 2015).
1) Burstall, S.W. & Sale, E.V., 1984. Great Trees of New Zealand, page 270.
2) See Hadfield Family history
