Catherine Ballard

A graduate in horticulture from Massey College in the 1960s, Catherine Ballard has been involved in horticulture, including writing, all her life. In 2006 David Ling published her biography of internationally recognised plant collector and hybridizer, Oswald Blumhardt. In 2010 she self published a history of the dry stone walls in the Whangarei District. In 2015 she self published Country Cop 24/7 -The Life and Times of a Rural Cop. She has lived in Northland most of her life, farming and growing plants. These three titles are available from the author

Genre:

Skills:

Branch:

Northland

Location:

Northland

Publications:

Oswald Blumhardt New Zealand Plant Pioneer

The fascinating story of Northland's Oswald Blumhardt and his legendary Koromiko Nursery. Os had a lifelong interest in plants, in collecting, propagating and hybridising. To this end he travelled extensively through Borneo, Thailand, Vietnam, New Guinea and Fiji camping in the lush high mountains and collecting seeds and other plant material to grow and hybridise in his nursery back home. Honoured by a number of plant societies Os was able to develope many of the camellias, magnolias, rhododendrons, vireyas and other plants that are now familiar features in New Zealand and overseas gardens.

Stone Wall Country - The Dry Stone Walls of the Whangarei District

The fascinating story of Whangarei’s dry stone walls, the origin of the stones and the people who built them. Based on recollections of living people, who give an overview of how the walls were built, and historical records. The Whangarei District has hundreds of kilometres of dry stone walls. They are a defining feature of the landscape in several areas around the city and it is no accident that those areas are dominated by small volcanic cones. The walls have become as much a part of the landscape as the volcanic cones from which they originated.

Country Cop 24/7

This book tells the story of Gavin Benney's life as a rural policeman in charge of the Hikurangi police district for over 20 years. It is also the story of the Hikurangi district, its people and how it has changed in that time. Police have unparalleled access to all levels of society, they see us in the raw and deal with the dark side of life, the side that those of us in safe, comfortable positions do not want to know about. Gavin dealt with crimes of murder, violence, drugs, thefts, petty vandalism and also with accidents from the horrific to the bizarre to the funny. This is the story of New Zealand rural life.