Mr Matchett, whose last day is tomorrow, has been feted this week by the Friends of Dunedin Botanic Garden and garden staff, prompting him to take a look back over the years.
At the age of 20, Mr Matchett landed a job with the Dunedin City Council Parks and Recreation Department, and shortly afterwards signed up for an apprenticeship.
"Doing the apprenticeship was a really good opportunity to gain experience, as you are rotated through different disciplines every six months," he said.
"I spent time in the landscape gang and finished up my time in the Winter Garden at the Dunedin Botanic Garden."
After completing his apprenticeship, Mr Matchett took on the role of leading hand at the Rhododendron Dell, then became upper gardens foreman under then curator Mick Reece.
In 1986, the realignment of State Highway 1 from Pine Hill into the city cut through a chunk of the botanic garden, resulting in the relocation of the aviary, the children’s playground and the rose garden.
"That was an all-hands-on-deck situation. It was a very big job which took a few years to complete," Mr Matchett said.
The renovation of the rock garden followed — a lengthy process that was, at times, controversial.
"Having a vision for a project like the rock garden is very important, especially as the mess that you have to make along the way can upset some people," he said.
Changes within local government and restructuring of council departments eventually led to Mr Matchett being appointed manager of a smaller garden team of key staff, including curators.
Further restructuring around 2000 resulted in his role expanding to include responsibility for all of Dunedin’s cemeteries, as well as developing the new Dunedin Cemetery in Concord.
"I looked after the cemeteries and the garden for 11 years, which was a very busy but interesting time," Mr Matchett said.
In 2012, he was pleased to get back to having a sole focus on managing the 32ha Dunedin Botanic Garden and continuing the development of its many assets and collections.
Looking back across his career, he was proud of the collections established and the facilities upgraded for the public’s enjoyment.
It is a long list, including the development of the Clive Lister Garden, the restoration of the historic Winter Garden glasshouse in 1990 and its refurbishment about eight years ago, the renovation of the main garden entrance, the building of the new Propagation House in 2015, the establishment of the Mediterranean Garden and Southern African Garden, and much more.
Mr Matchett was also at the helm when the Dunedin Botanic Garden hosted the prestigious Botanic Gardens International Congress alongside the Botanic Gardens New Zealand and Australian Congress in 2013, bringing together some of the world’s top horticulturists.
Dunedin Botanic Garden was a founding member of the New Zealand Gardens Trust, formed in 2010, and has maintained the garden’s status as a six star Garden of National Significance since then.
The Camellia Collection is rated as a Garden of Excellence by the International Camellia Society.
"We are very proud of these achievements — it is very nice to have that recognition of the quality of the garden," Mr Matchett said.
The support of the Friends of the Dunedin Botanic Garden and other benefactors over the years, including Prof Clive Lister (Lister Garden), Nancy Sime (Mediterranean Garden), Dick and Barbara Calvert (Southern African Garden), Olive and Charles Munro and others, had been vital to the ongoing success of the garden.
"The wonderful $100,000 contribution of the Friends of the Dunedin Botanic Garden to the recent development of the new children’s playground is a great example of this.
"That has always been a very fruitful relationship for us."
As he prepares to step down, Mr Matchett paid tribute to the "energy, commitment and expertise" of the staff he had worked with over the years.
"Their support, suggestions and hard work have been invaluable."
Looking ahead, the father of three is looking forward to putting his energies into the small farm he shares with his wife, Jane.
"I’m going to be spending a lot more time getting stuck in around the property, digging post holes, spraying gorse and pruning pine trees — I won’t be short of things to do."
The new Dunedin Botanic Garden manager is Catherine Bradley, formerly City Sanctuary project manager, who will be supported in the role by horticultural collections supervisor Dylan Norfield.
