Cornwall Park is a beloved landscape in Auckland. Gifted to the people of New Zealand by Sir John in 1903, the park is surrounded by a landscape transformed over the last century from farmland to residential neighborhoods. The park has become a refuge for city residents as well as a unique ecological resource in the heart of the city.

Sir John envisioned Cornwall Park as a public landscape, a vision that the master plan embraces and reinvigorates. Cornwall Park is set at the base of Maungakiekie, the most extensive former Pa in the city. Within the park, visitors can experience geologic formations, Māori earth works, remnants of Sir John’s agricultural endeavors, active pasture land, open lawns, an extensive arboretum and incredible views over Auckland and the surrounding harbours.

The master plan illustrates how to bring amenities, spaces and experience in line with a 21st century public park that serves a diverse and growing populace. It proposes that the next era of the park be characterised by an exemplary pedestrian experience, expanding the area and connectivity of park land by relocating automobile parking away from the core to the perimeter. This provides the opportunity to redesign the path network for greater pedestrian accessibility, connectivity and enjoyment while creating new spaces for gathering, sports and events.

The Cornwall Park master plan built upon and enhanced the park’s intrinsic character by looking at ways that users could enjoy the beautiful grounds and learn about the incredible history of the land. The plan provides a vision for integrating the park ecology, agricultural practice and cultural heritage into a singular park experience, preserving and strengthening these distinctive qualities so the park may continue to be a treasured place of recreation, enjoyment, and learning for the next generations.