Ian Galloway

Ian Galloway was the third Director of Parks from 1965-1986. He believed that small steps lead to grand visions, which is evident in the amount of work he was able to oversee during his time (Wellington City Council Archives, 00444-1/30/2 Part 1). His legacy can be seen throughout Wellington City, from the establishment of small city parks to the development of an outer town belt.

Galloway was born in Oamaru, arriving in Wellington as a schoolboy. He travelled to England to earn a Diploma in Horticulture from Kew Gardens and was one of the earliest horticultural apprentices taken on by the Wellington City Council. Galloway rose to become Director of Parks and oversaw a significant development in the size and scope of the Department. He took on a more administrative role delegating work to engineers and landscape architects, and encouraged staff to put forward ideas, many of which eventuated with his support.

Like his predecessors, Galloway continued the beautification of the city with street planting and small parks. Under his direction many large traffic islands throughout the city were planted, including the double-sided planting of Lambton Quay. Galloway also instigated the first small park on the corner of Victoria and Mercer Street, followed by Glover Park, Cobblestone Park, Midland Park, upgrading Oriental Parade and Denton Park. As Ron Flook said in his 1990 Ian Galloway Memorial Lecture, Galloway believed “these small green islands ultimately would lead to the greening of the whole street” (Wellington City Council Archives, 00444-1/30/2 Part 1).

Although part of his role was to oversee the development of the Botanic Gardens, they were also of a personal interest to him as he lived onsite and had once been a gardener there. Due to the significant damage caused by the 1968 Wahine Storm, several areas of the garden were redeveloped including the Herb Garden and Peace Garden. Galloway was also interested in preserving the history of the Garden and organised the writing of Part II of comprehensive history Cooke and Sheppard’s book The Botanic Garden.

Galloway had a keen interest in natural environment and the need for preserving this taonga. His time as Director of the Park coincided with the Ecological Movement and the establishment of the Reserve Act 1977. For Wellington this resulted in the development of an outer town belt by purchasing farmland to turn into parks, which included Johnson’s Hill, Wilton’s Bush, Johnsonville and Khandallah, as well as several other large tracks of land.

Sadly, Galloway passed away in 1986 from a heart attack. Ian Galloway Park was named in his honour for his tremendous contribution to the city. It was built on the former landfill known as the Western Tip that operated from 1946 to 1973. Today is a significant Wellington City sports park, with five fields, a BMX track and dog exercise area. This park also forms an important nature corridor between Zealandia and Otari Wilton Bush.