Heritage park preserves Ashburton’s history
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
“A way of life locked in time.”
That is the best way to describe the Ng King Brothers Chinese Market Garden Settlement Heritage Park in Ashburton, Robert King says.
More than 200 descendants of the original families gathered for the official opening of the heritage park on Sunday.
Robert King is the great-grandson of Charlie King, one of the founding members of the market garden.
“This site is authentic. It is real. It is not a replica," he said.
“It has been strengthened for longevity and preservation.”
The 2.3-hectare heritage park centres around the remnant buildings of the market gardens, restored to maintain the humble and original look of the buildings.
King said the initial project was to stabilise, strengthen and retain the area.
The market garden settlement on Allens Road had operated from 1921, growing to be the largest Chinese community in the South Island until it closed in 1964. It had since fallen into disrepair.
Yep Ng started the process when he approached the council in 2008 about restoring the site.
He was the driving force of the project, but died 10 months before the opening. His dedication to restoring the site was honoured at the opening.
It took five years to track down the descendants to gain consent to sign a memorandum of understanding to give stewardship of the site to the Ashburton District Council in 2013.
A working group began developing plans for the site in 2016 and the work to transform it into a heritage park began in 2019.
Ashburton deputy mayor Liz McMillan said the Chinese families overcame many challenges to become part of the social and business fabric of the district.
The heritage park will “uphold the legacy of early settlers” and be an important part of the district's history, McMillan said.
Eight interpretive panels on the site tell the stories of Chinese immigration, market gardening, the buildings, and the Ng King people, while a memorial rock lists the names of the original Ng King settlement partnership.
The council’s democracy and engagement group manager, Toni Durham, said while the heritage park was now open, there was still more work to be done.
“A full landscaping plan has been prepared which references both New Zealand and Chinese cultures.
“It will involve more pathways, additional planting and sculpting of the land, and seating areas.
“This will be completed over the next couple of years as funding is available.”
The final cost of the project hasn’t been tallied as it isn’t complete, Durham said.
“The project has been a collaboration with funding being provided by the council, Heritage New Zealand and the Chinese Poll Tax Trust.
“The Ng King family’s contribution has been providing their land as a community heritage park, and they see this as their way of giving back to a community that welcomed their forefathers.”
The heritage park opened to the public from Monday.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.1% Yes
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46.9% No
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
Turn Wallpaper Scraps into Beautiful Blossoms
These blossoms made from Resene wallpaper left over after decorating will mean your décor will be blooming gorgeous, no matter the season. Find out how to create your own wallpaper flowers with these easy step by step instructions.
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