Col. Robert Ward Tate

The R W Tate Memorial Scenic Reserve was gifted by Colonel Robert Ward Tate who was a local solicitor and WW I war hero.

Between 1919 and 1923, Colonel Tate, the son of a founder Greytown Family, was the New Zealand  administrator in post war Western Samoa.

For over 20 years the reserve has been maintained by The Rotary Club of South Wairarapa in association with The Department Of Conservation, (DOC). 

The club has carried out weeding and planting activities, installed three bridges, surfaced the entrance way and more recently has established a pest control programme to enhance native bird life.

Muscling in on the Reserve

Rotarians and friends make the reserve more accessible by forming a lime paved walkway in the 70's

Bryan Tucker, Brian Weatherstone, Russell Calvert, Bruce Morison, and a group of volunteers brought in their farm equipment and their enthusiasm, and soon had the foundations laid.

They followed that up with layers of lime and hours of raking and compacting.

I declare this world is so beautiful that I can hardly believe it exists

Memories

I remember as a boy at school in the early 50s some of us boys road bikes down to it. The entrance to the reserve was down the end of Market road, north west of the reserve. We called it tates bush.
Bryan Tucker

30 years on
and the job has changed

With the rise in pest populations and the burgeoning noxious weed problems, maintenance has been a source of ongoing work.

Trapping, and weeding have been overseen by the South Wairarapa Rotary environment committee with Bryan Tucker regularly mowing the lawns for the last 6 years or more.

1

Reserve land gifted by Col Tate in 1923

The R W Tate Memorial Scenic Reserve was gifted by Colonel Robert Ward Tate who was a local solicitor and WW I war hero.

2

The public who knew used it

Bryan Tucker remembers riding his bike down to 'Tate's Bush' via Market Road in the early 50's

3

The Papawai Entrance formed

The Papawai road entrance was formed probably about the 70s.

4

Adopted by Rotary

South Wairarapa Rotary adopted the reserve in the 1990's and started tidying it up and making it more accessible for more of the Wairarapa residents and visitors.

5

Pest eradication  implemented

The Environment committee bought a range of traps and partnered with DOC to try keeping predator numbers down

6

Pest control prioritised

Mary Mason and the 2021-22 committee employed a dedicated pest control specialist to lay our traps and clear them regularly

Current projects

The Rotary Club of South Wairarapa has been very active with environmental projects including planting in Greytown, Featherston, South Wairarapa wet lands and Wairarapa coast.

The club has also been responsible for the construction of several toilet blocks and viewing platforms and other amenities in parks managed by DOC

Volunteers
Lawn mowing
Pest control
GPS Cache
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