Totara by the Auckland Central Library

I must have passed  this tree on the way to the library in Lorne Street thousands of times since I first worked in the city back in 1986. Twenty-five years of dodging traffic zooming around corners from Rutland Street to get to my favourite part of the city. And I didn't notice the tree for what it is, and its significance.

This is a totara. Well, it's a totara that's grown there since 1975 (36 years), and I don't think it's doing all that well in that position. This is a totara:

Image from Wikipedia.

Anyway ... the library's totara is in commemoration for Ronald Alison Kells Mason, better known as RAK Mason, one of this country's finest talents in literature and journalism. Apparently recently uncovered from the layers of bark chips and leaves -- this was what I spotted yesterday. It brought me to a screeching halt, and had me whip out the camera again.

THIS TOTARA TREE

WAS PLANTED BY THE

AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

THE HONOUR THE MEMORY OF

RONALD ALISON KELLS MASON

POET

AND NATIVE SON OF THIS CITY

1905-1971

The only possible excuse I have for not spotting this earlier is -- maybe the plaque was covered over for a long, long time. Then again, I probably didn't expect to see something at that corner.

According to Rachel Barrowman in her book Mason: the life of R.A.K. Mason, the matter of a memorial to Mason came to Council notice at the end of 1971. Allen Curnow had a go at the Council for not noting one of our finest poets, and suggested "a simple stone pedastal with a broze plaque in Albert Park." Four years later, the Council went with Colin McCahon's idea of the totara outside the library. Mason apparently had a cynicism about stone or bronze monuments. Barrowman felt he might have been pleased with the totara choice for a monument.

Perhaps -- but it would have been better, perhaps, in Albert Park. The bronze plaque might get nicked, but the tree would have had a bit more space.