Baffling case of padlock openers at Edmonds gardens

Thieves who open padlocks securing implement sheds at the Edmonds Factory Gardens and remove them, without taking anything else, are baffling volunteers who tend to the Christchurch landmark.

While the Friends of Edmonds Factory Gardens Society’s work off Ferry Rd is routinely undermined by vandalism and rubbish dumping, the curious actions of two men present an unusual headache.

How the duo, who targeted the sheds on December 8, January 23 and February 7, opened the padlocks concerned society president John Hoskin.

“These guys somehow or other have managed to get a key. It’s a complete and utter mystery why they’re doing this,” the 86-year-old said.

Hoskin said police had been notified on each occasion and he was surprised they had not been able to trace the pair.

With six CCTV cameras on site, Hoskin said they have footage of the men arriving by car, removing the locks and departing, always in broad daylight.

“We’ve given them ideal photos . . . the car they come in and the registration and they still don’t seem to be able to nail them down.”

Police were contacted for comment but had not responded before deadline.

Hoskin said they have lost five padlocks, and only on the first incident did the men try and continue to enter the sheds, only to be thwarted by another layer of security.

Now they are content to just take the padlocks.

Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board member John Miller was also perplexed about why padlocks were targeted.

“It’s very bizarre. The obvious reason is metal value, they are made of brass, but a merchant told us they’re $5 each, so it seems like a hell of a lot of work and risk,” he said.

The city council’s acting head of parks Rupert Bool was also puzzled.

“We are unsure how these padlocks are being taken, we are looking into a new style of padlock to hope to alleviate thefts,” he said. 

Between September 5 last year and February 20 council staff had to replace 33 padlocks at community parks.

The city council oversees infrastructure at the gardens, including a toilet block and rubbish removal. A band of devoted volunteers take care of the gardens’ upkeep.

In recent months the toilet block has been vandalised on several occasions, while cyclists are ignoring signs barring access and damaging the lawns.

Nine brass memorial plaques have also been removed from benches.

“That is purely for scrap. We’re trying to get them replaced,” said Hoskin, who also lamented some benches had been gouged, and rose beds uprooted.

”There’s always something going on, it’s very heartbreaking.”

Thomas Edmonds, manufacturer of the iconic Kiwi baking powder brand, commissioned the gardens around his Ferry Rd factory in 1923.

The factory, which was demolished in 1990, and gardens are recognisable nationwide thanks to featuring on the front cover of the Edmonds Cookery Book since 1955.