The idea came during a weekend walk with the Sparks family in 1994.  In 2003 that idea won the Supreme Award at the TrustPower National Community Awards. 

But what is the Te Puna Quarry Park Society doing today?  More than ever!

The Te Puna Quarry was an ugly blot on the landscape until one day in 1994 when during a walk through the Quarry Shirley Sparks and her children started to ask “What would happen if…”  The idea that was forming in their minds was to turn the Quarry into a wilderness park.

After gaining support from other local residents, Shirley Sparks started the process of turning her children’s idea into a reality.  The Te Puna Quarry Park Society was formed and in 1997, after three years of work to arrange the transfer of management of the Quarry from the Council to the Society, hands-on work began.

Thousands of volunteer hours were spent clearing weeds and replanting the area in a mixture of native and exotic plants, trees and f lowers.  Walking tracks, viewing sites and picnic areas were built so the public could enjoy the peace, tranquillity and solitude of the area, and a variety of different art forms were introduced to the site, including a small amphitheatre for performances of music, theatre and readings.  Events were held, such as a sculptural symposium, to fulfil the Society’s aim of providing a community development in environmental arts.

In 2002 the Te Puna Quarry Park Society won the Supreme Award at the TrustPower Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty Community Awards and subsequently went on to take out the National title.  Shirley Sparks says they were overwhelmed to win such a prestigious Award, especially as the other voluntary groups at the Nationals were doing such amazing work.

“Winning the Supreme Award at the TrustPower National Community Awards gave the Society increased publicity and made the Park even more popular…it was a huge boost!”

The Society used the prize money from the Nationals to commission a sculpture for the Park from local artist David Roy.

“The sculpture is of a phoenix rising from the ashes and is symbolic of what is happening at the Quarry as out of what was an ugly scar on the landscape something beautiful is emerging,” says Shirley.

Since winning the National Award the Te Puna Quarry Park Society has continued to go from strength to strength.  Today volunteers spend, collectively, an average of 120 hours a week at the Park and the regular Tuesday working bee, which started eight years ago, continues.

Other voluntary groups are also continuing their involvement in the project, with groups such as the local Lions Club, Herb Society and Orchid Society tending to their own areas of the Park.

Recent artistic enhancements to the Park include new mosaic works and sculptures and longer terms plans are underway to develop the eastern side of the 30 hectare Quarry site.

“A team of volunteers, lead by Ian Cross, has started exploring this eastern area of the Park with plans to turn it into a pest proof native plant bird sanctuary.  We are hoping that eventually these volunteers will create a Trust, which would be run under the umbrella of the Society, to turn this vision into a reality,” says Shirley.

Shirley says Ian and his team are working closely with members of the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust in Cambridge, winner of the 2004 TrustPower Waipa District Community Awards.  The Maungatautari Trust is raising funds to construct 50km of completely mammal proof fence around the forest margin and Shirley says they are benefiting from the Trust’s expertise and experience.

The David Roy sculpture of a phoenix rising from the ashes, which was commissioned using the prize money from the TrustPower National Community Awards.

The Frog Pond at the Te Puna Quarry Park.

Some of the 'heroes' who volunteer at the Park.