I found out that someone painted over the sign for Tait Park, a small reserve at the corner of Community Lane (next to Highbury Flats and the local community centre) and Rosebank Road. I was appalled. Yes, I know, this is a small thing in the greatness of the universe, but dammit ...
I was talking to someone recently, asking them what they meant when they referred to "Highbury Triangle". They described this park. "Tait Park?" they said. "But in slang today, we say Highbury Triangle."
I was talking to someone recently, asking them what they meant when they referred to "Highbury Triangle". They described this park. "Tait Park?" they said. "But in slang today, we say Highbury Triangle."
No.
The name is Tait Park. The sign may have been painted by hard-pressed, stretched-for-time anti-graffiti folk, but dammit -- the park is called Tait Park. With a reason. "Highbury Triangle" is a Council-sourced new bit of jargon invented for the latest incarnation of the district plan, to describe the total area including the park, the community centre, the library, and the Peace Gardens up at the corner of Great North Road and Ash Street. (Those date from 1995, the 50th anniversary of Hiroshima, and are formed in the shape of the peace symbol from the anti-nuclear protest days.) And "Highbury Triangle" doesn't make sense, unless they've just used the name of the pensioner flats (which Council no longer own, they're run by Housing NZ these days) -- today, none of Highbury Street is within that "triangle".
The name is Tait Park. The sign may have been painted by hard-pressed, stretched-for-time anti-graffiti folk, but dammit -- the park is called Tait Park. With a reason. "Highbury Triangle" is a Council-sourced new bit of jargon invented for the latest incarnation of the district plan, to describe the total area including the park, the community centre, the library, and the Peace Gardens up at the corner of Great North Road and Ash Street. (Those date from 1995, the 50th anniversary of Hiroshima, and are formed in the shape of the peace symbol from the anti-nuclear protest days.) And "Highbury Triangle" doesn't make sense, unless they've just used the name of the pensioner flats (which Council no longer own, they're run by Housing NZ these days) -- today, none of Highbury Street is within that "triangle".
This has led to me asking to speak nicely to the Avondale Community Board at their meeting's Public Forum on Tuesday 23 June, to ask them if they wouldn't mind asking Council nicely to arrange to have the letters restored. A few dabs of white or yellow here and there to form the letters so they can be seen would be nice. It's also led to me compiling a brief history of the park, here.
So, here's some views of Tait Park. This is the part added to the park after the Ash Street extension went in behind it. It used to be part of Highbury Street.
What remains of a scoria wall and set of posts which went along two sides of the park.
I'll come back with an update after I've been to see the Community Board.
I think the name of this park's street has changed and is no longer Highbury St, although Highbury St still remains across the rest of the street with Ash Street(?) wedged in between.
ReplyDeleteAlso Tait park seems to be fenced off and is currently undergoing a project by Auckland City Council. (As of around March 2012).
No, I didn't say Highbury Street, I said Highbury Triangle, which is the name given to the Council planning area bounded by Tait Park, Ash Street extension, Great North Road and Rosebank Road. If you re-read the posrt, you'll see I refer to Community Lane, the new name for the part of Highbury Street beside the park.
ReplyDeleteAlso -- yes, Tait Park is undergoing renovation as at this moment, as per Whau Local Board SLIPS/Discretionary funding. A future post will show the result.