John William Hall Arboretum is New Zealand’s oldest arboretum, established in 1872 by Thames chemist John William Hall.

He began planting his three-acre property in 1872, initially to control erosion when he became alarmed at the effect of rainfall on the area’s deforested hillsides. The trees had been cut down to make pit props for the gold mines. However, he also planted for habitat provision and research. Mr Hall, who was born in England and immigrated in 1858, initially settling in Mangere before arriving in Thames in 1867, was an amateur naturalist in the best tradition of the Victorian era. He is widely recognised for his discovery of a separate tōtara species known as Hall’s tōtara, of which several specimens can be found in the reserve.

The site affords sweeping views over Thames and the Firth and there is a network of well-developed, but steep in parts, paths through groves of giant trees of many species, including Hall’s tōtara, Norfolk pine, oak, puriri, rimu, mataī, western cedar, red cedar, pōhutukawa and kauri.

Some of Mr Hall’s motivation for establishing this Arboretum is revealed in a paper he submitted to the Auckland Institute in 1901.

The extensive, and frequently wanton, destruction of the native bush has been going on at such a pace it will soon be difficult, if not impossible, to get sight of some of the rarer species. And, unfortunately, the planting of our beautiful New Zealand trees has not been generally adopted, perhaps from the mistaken idea that they are difficult to culture. Partly to disprove this, but principally because I had a great liking for the occupation, I some thirty years ago, began a plantation on a piece of land at Parawai, Thames. – John William Hall

Location
There is a car park at the top end of Mount Sea Rd; alternately, the arboretum can be accessed from Currie St, Brunton Cres, or Korokoro Cres. You can easily spend an hour or more walking the various paths.