Waitaki District Council staff have commemorated the recent 70th Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II with the planting of a Southern Rata tree.
Staff from the Waitaki District Libraries and Parks and Recreation teams planted the native tree at the Ōamaru Public Gardens this week.
It was Library Assistant, Eileen Armstrong’s idea to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with the planting.
“I thought it was something the Queen would like, especially because of her service to the environment,” she said.
“She serves, as does the library team, so we wanted to acknowledge that”.
The Queen visited the Waitaki region during the Royal Visit of 1953-54, arriving in Ōamaru by train on Monday 25th January 1954 for a public welcome. The same day, Her Majesty continued on to Palmerston for another public welcome before finishing her day in Dunedin.
“The Southern Rata has a beautiful colour and we wanted to choose a long serving regal tree,” said Eileen.
The Southern Rata is known for its red flowers in summer and can grow to around 15 metres tall.
