Mt Lees Reserve

Mt Lees is a special place for many people here in Manawatū, but those outside of the region are unlikely to have heard much about it. Manawatū District Council are hoping to change that.

The reserve is managed by the council’s Parks and Property team, and they have set about making some upgrades to improve the experience for visitors.

Before it became a reserve, the land and the homestead belonged to Ormond Wilson, who was a Labour Party MP, firstly for Rangitīkei, and secondly for Palmerston North.

Ormond held a lifelong passion for gardening and created the bush with a mixture of native and exotic plants. The Wilson family hosted many people at their home over the years, the most famous being United States President Lydon B. Johnson and his wife Ladybird.

During a tour of the Pacific to try and drum up support for the Vietnam War, Johnson visited New Zealand on a 24 hour stopover. The organiser of the trip decided that Johnson and his entourage should experience something quintessentially New Zealand, so they decided to arrange a sheep shearing demonstration at the Wilson’s farm and a tour of their gardens.

The tour of the farm was cut short due to the President needing to make his flight out of Base Ōhakea, but they did get to see sheep being shorn before they left for the next stop on their tour.

A few years after in 1972, Ormond bequeathed the farm to the government for it to be used as a public reserve, and now the day to day management of Mt Lees is the responsibility of Manawatū District Council.

Work has been done to the homestead, including upgrading electrical work and ensuring that it has wheelchair access for people with mobility issues. The hope is that in the future the building could be used for hosting events and school groups for camps.

An adventure area has been created that encourages children to interact with the natural surroundings of the bush, and improved signage will aid walkers on the 2.4km walking track that circumnavigates the reserve.

A StoryWalk has also been installed in the adventure area which will feature a book by children’s author Juliette MacIver, The Grizzled Grist does not Exist. The book has been printed on vinyl signs and allows for families to read the story whilst walking around the adventure area.

These exciting additions are just another chapter in the story that is Mt Lees, and long may this special place continue to be the backdrop to many memories to come in the years ahead.