13 August 2012
Begonia House to be closed for quake strengthening
Begonia House in the Botanic Garden – one of Wellington’s most popular visitor attractions - is to be closed for a quick
earthquake-strengthening job from today (Monday 13 August).
Wellington City Council’s Earthquake Resilience Programme Director, Neville Brown, says the decision has been made to
start necessary work on the building in order that it be fully reopened for its visitor peak in the summer.
Picnic Café, which occupies one end of the landmark building, will be closed for three weeks for the first stage of the
project It is scheduled to reopen on Fathers’ Day weekend (1 and 2 September).
Mr Brown says Council engineers have been working this year on designs to strengthen the 50-year-old steel-framed and
glass-clad building.
The intention is to add extra framing and bracing to the existing frame to lessen flexing and movement in the event of a
substantial quake. Some extra reinforcing of the building’s concrete foundations will also be done. Some $150,000 has
been provided for this project within the Long term Plan.
“The work will be relatively quick and easy to complete,” says Mr Brown. “Much of the framing will be prefabricated
offsite and welded into place.”
The work on Begonia House has been scheduled as part of the Council’s earthquake resilience programme – for which
provision has been made in the Long Term Plan.
Councillor Helene Ritchie, the Council’s Natural Environment Portfolio Leader, says she supports the strengthening work.
“While it may be disruptive, this is luckily the quietest time of the year for the Gardens. It’s obviously essential
that Begonia House – which hosts thousands of visitors a year, is brought up to current building codes.”
The Council’s Parks and Gardens Manager, Paul Andrews, says many of the tropical and fragile plants in Begonia House
will be temporarily moved to other hothouses. Other, bigger, plants will have to stay – but Gardens staff will continue
to keep them watered and cared for.
“The same goes for the fishpond inside the building – it’ll be looked after.”
Begonia House – background
Begonia House was built in 1961 with funding provided by prominent Wellington family the Norwoods. It followed the
establishment, in 1956, of the Lady Norwood Rose Garden – named by the Council in honour of Lady Norwood for the support
and services she and her husband provided for the city.
The building contains a wide range of flowers and plants and of course many types of begonias. Tuberous begonias, both pot and basket
types, with their spectacular large colourful flowers, play the starring role, and dominate the displays during the
summer months. More beauty is added by orchids, bromeliads, cyclaner, prmula, impatiens and various bulbs.
The building is made up of two separate areas - one for tropical plants and one containing temperate plants. The
temperate section, heated to a minimum of 15 degrees, contains seasonal displays of potted flowering and foliage plants.
The foyer of the temperate house has long been a popular wedding venue.
The tropical section’s minimum temperature is set at 20 degrees, and most of the plants in this section are permanently
planted. It contains bromeliads - members of the pineapple family, aroids - members of the arum lily family and orchids.
The Tropical Waterlily Pond houses many aquatic water plants including the giant Amazon waterlily species Victoria
amazonica and Victoria cruziana. The pond is heated to between 23 degrees and 27 degrees celsius depending on time of
year, and is stocked with plenty of tropical fish, to keep algae down.
ENDS