George Denton Park

George Denton Park is approximately 37 acres (15 ha) of native bush given to Wellington City in 1951 by William Denton in memory of his parents, George and Eliza (Bennett) Denton. Now a part of Wellington Town Belt, it is sandwiched between Zealandia and Polhill Gully on a high ridge, far behind where the Dentons once lived.

George Denton was a founding councillor of Wellington's Acclimatisation Society in May 1871.[1][2] He was noted for his interest in Maori lore and friendships with Maori of his own generation.[3]

Denton (1833–1910) came to Wellington at the beginning of 1856 from Nelson where he had arrived from London on 17 January 1856 on the sailing ship China. His future wife, then Eliza Bennett, had arrived as a child in 1848. Denton sold ironmongery and sports equipment (tennis racquets, cricket bats, firearms, fishing tackle) and provided the services of watchmaker and jeweller from his shop at 58 Willis Street.[note 1][4] Storms at high tides could wash away stock on display in front of father-in-law George Bennett's shop at the junction with Lambton Quay.

His wife and he raised 11 children in their house called Fern Hill in Woolcombe Street (324 The Terrace) opposite the top of Ghuznee Street. The 1 acre (0.40 ha) property backed onto the Town Belt.[5] He grew nikau palms there and gave away their carefully cultivated seedlings.[6] Denton's hatchery near his house distributed some 5000 to 6000 hatchling trout around the lower North Island each year. A founder and stalwart of Wellington's Acclimatisation Society he also acclimatised and distributed the Society's imported birds and maintained any maimed birds all in his own aviary.[3] At the Acclimatisation Society he was assisted by Alexander Rutherfurd (1852—1931), 30 years an assistant and clerk assistant of the House of Representatives, of Masterton and Moroa Station, Alfredton.[7]

Denton managed to avoid any political appointment. A carving of his head made from totara, was one of those on the face of John Plimmer's 'Old Identities' hotel (properly named the Albert Hotel) on the corner of Willis Street and Boulcott Street. That building was demolished in 1929 and replaced by the St George. Denton's wooden head is now preserved in the Wellington Museum.

'Old Identities' on the corner of Willis and Boulcott Streets circa 1900

Notes
  1. Until 1908 it was 33 Willis Street. Re-numbering the City The Evening Post, 24 September 1908, page 8

References
  1. The Evening Post 2 May 1871 Page 2
  2. Te Hui Tau a To Ropu Awhina i Nga Ika, i Nga Manu, Me Nga Kararehe. Matuhi 7 June 1905 Page 7
  3. Obituary. The Evening Post 11 August 1910 Page 7
  4. Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand
  5. For Sale. The Evening Post 3 May 1923 Page 12
  6. Stately Nikau. The Evening Post 29 March 1934 Page 7
  7. Obituary, Mr A J Rutherfurd. The Evening Post, 4 February 1931 Page 14

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