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Begonia House

Descriptive Data

Parallel NameLady Norwood Begonia HouseDate Range1898Description

The Begonia House is a large greenhouse situated facing onto the Lady Norwood Rose Garden in the Wellington Botanical gardens. It was built as a replacement for an earlier much smaller building in the same vicinity. The current Begonia House was opened in 1960 by Mayor Francis Kitts and Prime Minister Keith Holyoake.

The site of the first begonia house was in the area of the present nursery and it is believed that in 1898 a sum of £10 was approved for the provision of glass for a glasshouse (Volume 13, Minutes of meetings of the Wellington City Council, 1898 to 1900, entry 5, May 1898)

In 1904 a further glasshouse was erected. The house was extended in 1915, and again in 1922.

The original glass houses were only used for propagating plants during the winter and as a display house for the tuberous begonias, gloxinias and streptocarpus from Spring to Autumn. Overtime people called for a display house over all seasons. The first exhibition is believed to have taken place in 1913, when George Glen’s (Director of the Botanic Garden from 1901-1918) begonia collection was displayed. This formed the original collection for Begonia House.

The glass houses were continuously improved to provide the right conditions for a wider range of exotic plants. This included Henry Wrights donation in 1923 “of rare plants and orchids, many quite unprocurable in Australasia” (Wellington City Council Archives, 00166-30). This offer was accepted 5 years later when more space was created through the addition of a new boiler and hot water pipe system to the main propagation house.

Work on Anderson Park Extension was carried out between 1931 and 1934 as a government employment relief scheme administered by the Wellington City Council, the plans of which can be seen in the WCC Design Branch Plans. The park was first used as a sports ground and is now the site of the Lady Norwood Rose Garden and Begonia House.

The Norwood family came into the picture in 1939, when Lady Norwood offered £200 to improve the Begonia House. Unfortunately, the war years delayed the development and other more urgent projects took precedence over the begonia house.

Edward Hutt, Director of the gardens from 1947-1965, picked up the project again and took the lead on the new design of the rose gardens and begonia house. In June 1960, Norwood generously donated a further sum of £20,000 for the construction of a new Begonia House, which finally became a reality later that year. Several benefactors followed the Norwoods’ example by donating sums of money or plants to enlarge the tropical plant collection.

The new glasshouse was recognised as the largest in the Southern Hemisphere at the time. With the establishment of the Berhampore Nursery, which functioned as the chief propagation area from then on, the planned Begonia House could act as a glasshouse the whole year round and include displays of exotic indoor plants. It was initially known as the Lady Norwood Begonia House, in appreciation of their generous donation.

An extensive list of plants found in the Begonia House and other parts of the gardens was prepared to be added to a publication called New Zealand Plants and Gardens in 1971, the notes of which are held in a sub-series of gardens in the WCC, Culture and Recreation Division files.

In 1981 a Tea House was added onto the Begonia House, and in 1989 the Lily House was added to the complex to complete the structure we see now. Redevelopment of Begonia House was begun in 2003, providing improved visitor services and amenities, with a shop, kitchen and storage area being added in 2012. Further structural work was undertaken in 2014 to meet new earthquake requirements.

In recent times the Begonia House has served as a popular wedding and events venue as well as continuing to house the stunning displays of international tropical plants it is famous for.

Geo Coordinates^[1]

Image

Begonia House, Rose Garden, Botanical Gardens

Summer City, Begonia House entertainment

Botanic Gardens: Begonia House, prior building of new tea rooms, exterior, Rose Garden

Parks and Recreation - Botanical Gardens: Begonia House

Summer City, Begonia House

Parks and Recreation - Botanical Gardens: Begonia House

Parks and Gardens, Begonia House

Botanic Gardens

g. Botanic Garden, Rose Gardens and Begonia House

b. prior to construction of Begonia House, December 4th

b. Begonia House

Building Work

Refurbishment of Begonia House, Stage 3, Botanic Gardens, McMillan and Lockwood Ltd

Extension to Begonia House at Botanic Gardens, Jeffries and Co.

101 Glenmore Street, Botanical Gardens, refurbishment of Begonia House

101 Glenmore Street, Botanical Gardens, additions to Begonia House

Tinakori Road, Begonia House

Glenmore Street, Begonia House extension

Additions to Begonia House, Botanical Gardens

Correspondence

Botanic Gardens: Refurbishment Of Begonia House

Lists of Number of Men to be Employed on Relief Work

Unemployment Boards Scheme No 5 providing work for unemployed, circular instructions issued by unemployment board (part IV)

Botanic Garden, New Begonia House (C E Norwood)

Parks and Reserves: Botanic Garden: Plant Guide List

Maps and Plans

Proposed amendment for extension of Anderson Park

Orchid House, Botanic Gardens

Propagating House, Botanical Gardens

Place

Lady Norwood Rose Garden

Wellington Botanic Garden ki Paekākā

Person

Tony Williams

Colour photograph of Begonia House

Citation
Wellington City Council Archives, 00557-322-7

Relationships

External linksThe Lady Norwood Rose Garden and Begonia HouseBegonia House FoyerRelated PlaceWellington Botanic Garden ki Paekākā

Administrative Data

Described ByCorrina GordonDate of Description31/3/2022

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Begonia House