Paulette WALLACE
Can a large concrete compound have a place within a nature sanctuary? Matiu/Somes Island is located only 8km from Wellington’s central business district, yet it is both the island’s proximity, and its isolation from New Zealand’s capital city, which underpins its colourful past. Removed from the mainland, Matiu/Somes Island has existed as a place of refuge for Maori, a human quarantine station, an enemy alien internment camp during both world wars, and throughout its European history, the island has been New Zealand’s primary animal quarantine station.
New Zealand’s all-important agricultural industry has historically been based on exotic species, with Matiu/Somes Island being singled out early on as a key animal quarantine location. In 1971 a state-of-the-art Maximum Security Animal Quarantine Station was opened on the island. The facility was designed primarily for scientists to study breeds of exotic livestock in order to assess their commercial value and potential for importing into New Zealand’s national herd and flock. It was believed that the new station could put New Zealand at the forefront of breeding livestock in the future.
Fast forward to1995, to the end of animal quarantine on Matiu/Somes Island, and the beginning of a new phase of management under the Department of Conservation. Matiu/Somes Island has since become a refuge for native flora and fauna. The great success of the island’s ecological restoration is such that the Department of Conservation is now challenged with the role of communicating the importance of the old animal quarantine station, when many visitors see the station’s existence as a scar on the regenerated landscape. My paper will discuss the Department’s recent efforts in interpreting the island’s significant animal quarantine past, and the future management of the remaining buildings alongside the natural heritage of Matiu/Somes Island.