Palmerston North has some well-known established clusters of Phoenix palms, for example Palm Drive, The Esplanade, dating from 1934 [1], and Awapuni War Memorial, dating from circa 1930 [2]. This group of palms is not so old, dating from circa 1950, however, they are notable for the effort and expense that went into their transplantation. Originally planted at the Showgrounds and A&P Association (see black and white photos), the site was transferred to the Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) in 1974 and is now known as the CET Arena. In July 2020 an extensive redevelopment of the site occurred, but in recognition of the historical significance of the palms the PNCC contracted Treescape to transplant 15 palms. It was a significant operation. A recent check by Dave Charnley PNCC shows that two of the palms have not survived the move, and one is looking sickly, nevertheless 12 of the original group are now well-established, and provide a significant landscape effect in an otherwise not heavily planted area (Lloyd, M., 2023).
Acknowledgement: Thanks to Dave Charnley, Palmerston North City Council for information and permission to use historical photos and one recent photo.
References:
1. MWR/G1902
2. MWR/G1904