Reserve renamed in honour of Banks Peninsula icon

Zane Darrell (representing Hilda Frame’s foster family) with Hunter, Kate and Xavier, some of the pupils who presented their request to the Banks Peninsula Community Board in 2020. Behind them is teacher Liza Rossie. Photo: Supplied

A Christchurch City Council park has been formally named the “Hilda Frame Reserve” at the request of pupils from Governors Bay School who did an inquiry project about Hilda Frame.

Hilda Frame looked after more than 300 orphaned children over the years. Photo: Supplied

Frame fostered more than 300 children over 50 years and in 1970 was awarded an MBE from the Queen for her extraordinary work.

The reserve off Cresswell Ave was known as '4673'.

It is on the original site of Frame’s house and garden and is the home of the Governors Bay community centre and swimming pool.

Frame bequeathed the land to the community after her death in 1981.

In April 2021, Bay Harbour News reported on the pupils’ efforts to have the reserve renamed in Frame’s honour.

The pupils who made the original request to the Banks Peninsula Community Board were very happy the sign had finally been installed.

Said Xavier: “It’s really cool it’s finally happened.”

Xavier, Maxwell, Kate, Heidi, Hunter, Niall, and teacher Liza Rossie pictured at the Banks Peninsula Community Board meeting in 2020 where they first presented their idea. Photo: Supplied

Pupils Hunter and Kate agreed the sign was worth waiting for.

Governors Bay School teacher Liza Rossie said many people were involved in the project.

"I am very grateful to Victoria Bliss (city council heritage conservation project planner) for supporting our idea and working with us to get an intangible heritage grant that enabled us to create the Hilda Frame Reserve interpretation sign,” Rossie said.

"Also thanks to David Bundy of Governors Bay Heritage Trust and Sage Rossie-Tong for the photographs on the signage.

"We were also very lucky that Zane Darrell, one of Hilda Frame’s foster family, read the original Bay Harbour News article (in 2021) and as a result gifted her medal to the Governors Bay community.

"This was presented along with all the correspondence and telegrams which are now archived at Tūranga central library."