Places

Date: 15-16 Jun 2009 - 15 Jun 2009 - 16 Jun 2009

From: The founding of landscape architecture in New Zealand oral history project

By: Scheltus, Hermanus Willem, 1951-

Reference: OHInt-0857-10

Description: Interview with Herwi (Hermanus Willem) Scheltus, born in Napier in 1951. Talks about his father having been born in China, educated in Holland, and managed a tea plantation in Indonesia. Comments that his parents met and married in Indonesia, spent the war in Japanese concentration camps, and never talked to their children about their experiences. Talks about his parents coming to New Zealand from Holland as sponsored immigrants after the war, speaking Dutch at home when he was a child and not knowing much English when he started school. Refers to his parents buying a small farm near Tauranga after a few years, having poultry, and living very simply. Outlines his schooling, being rebellious, and not having a sense of nationality. Talks about studying horticulture at Massey University and starting a nursery on his parent's property. Comments on going to California State University, Pomona, for a postgraduate landscape architecture course but finding the culture change too much, dropping out and travelling in Canada, the United States and Europe. Discusses studying landscape architecture at Lincoln College, and finding that the course was largely focused on urban parks rather than designing with nature. Describes joining the Department of Lands and Survey in 1979 as a landscape architect based in Taupo to work with engineers from the Electricity Department and Ministry of Works on power projects in the central North Island. Comments on efforts to try to minimise the impacts of engineering works on the environment such as finding a way to handle tunnel spoil that was acceptable to the engineers and had a low environmental impact. Refers to the Lands and Survey native plant nursery and sourcing seeds locally. Talks about his investigations on revegetation in the harsh environment, learning to mimic nature, and having to gain the confidence of a succession of engineers. Comments on work to improve rooting of nursery-reared plants when they were planted out in the harsh environment. Refers to the importance of maintenance and weed control in revegetation projects, but the electricity projects not having a budget for continuing this work after construction ceased. Talks about the land development section of Lands and Survey which developed marginal land into farm settlement blocks, and doing site planning and house design to improve outcomes. Refers to retaining some vegetation for shelter and erosion control, and being involved with the Woodstock Farm Forest project. Comments on giving advice on the conversion of a central North Island pine forest to pastoral land, and the revegetation of Tiritiri Matangi Island to convert it to an island sanctuary. Discusses the roles of Robin Gay and Boyden Evans at Lands and Survey Head Office in instigating landscaping and revegetation projects. Talks about being assigned to the Department of Conservation (DOC) when Lands and Survey was abolished in the 1987 restructuing of government departments. Mentions being based in Taupo in a national role, controversy over a mining project in the Coromandel, and the new Landcorp not wanting any landscape input in their land development projects. Discusses various projects he has worked on including road and rail realignments in national parks, explaining his aim is to reduce impacts rather than stop projects, and that urban designs and engineering practices can be inappropriate in national parks. Describes his role in overseeing upgrades to the skifield facilities at Ruapehu and being "hassled" by colleagues who did not want any skifields in a national park. Describes filming for 'Lord of the Rings' in Tongariro National Park, ministerial pressure to allow it to go ahead, and convincing the film makers to accept working within the Park management plan. Describes some of the creative solutions found to minimise environmental impacts of the filming. Refers to management plans for DOC land now requiring consultation with Maori, the time it has taken to build relationships, and some uncomfortable encounters on marae. Talks about his positive experiences working with iwi on the Tongariro National Park world heritage committee as well as with Ngai Tahi and others. Reflects on being the last landscape architect in DOC, current landscape architecture students not being taught "the basics", and the Resource Management Act having affected the profession both positively and negatively as landscape assessments are often what the client wants rather than what is best for the land. Reflects on why he settled in Taupo, his work in the Farm Forestry Association, and his admiration of Gordon Stephenson. Interviewer(s) - Shona McCahon Quantity: 1 digital sound recording(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 3 Electronic document(s) (abstract, form). 2 digital photograph(s) (Jpeg files). 1 interview(s) over 2 days. 7 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHDL-001336, OHA-7356. Search dates: 1951 - 2009