Macindoe Tim: Hamilton City Council (Parana Park) Land Vesting Bill — Third Reading 
Macindoe Tim: Hamilton City Council (Parana Park) Land Vesting Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:672;Page:18363] 
TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West) 
: 
 The last shall be first and the first shall be last. Having had the great pleasure in the absence of the member for Hamilton East to move the second reading I now have the enormous privilege today of ending this debate on the third reading of the Hamilton City Council (Parana Park) Land Vesting Bill. 
Just last Monday which was Anzac Day I wandered through Parana Park on my way to attend the civic service at the Hamilton Cenotaph. I stopped to talk to some constituents on the attractive stone bridge that crosses Gibbons Creek and marks one entrance to Parana Park. I drew their attention to the two memorial marble plaques that face each other on that bridge. We studied the inscriptions together. As Nicky Wagner reminded us a few minutes earlier it is believed that the names of the two citizens commemorated on those plaques George Parr and Annie McPherson when combined are thought to answer the question asked by many members in the first and second readings of this bill: how did Parana Park acquire its name? 
The inscription on the first plaque reads as follows: 
George Parr 
died 26 February 1929. 
He left Parana Park to the children of Hamilton. 
“He hath left you all his walks 
On this side Tiber; he hath left them you 
And to your heirs for ever; common pleasures 
To walk abroad and recreate yourselves.” 
David Shearer 
: Recreate? 
TIM MACINDOE 
: I am sure the learned member for Mt Albert will recognise that extract from Marc Antony’s speech at the forum in Shakespeare’s  
Julius Caesar 
. I am pleased to assure the House that the circumstances of George Parr’s demise were less dramatic than the famous murder scene that is analysed in act three scene two which David Bennett tells me he enjoyed studying so much in his distinguished days at St John’s College in Hamilton. 
But once more on to the bridge Mr Speaker! On the opposite plaque is written— 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: Oh my goodness! 
TIM MACINDOE 
: —thank you; Ms Chadwick actually recognised it— 
This bridge was erected to the memory of Annie McPherson— 
Simon Bridges 
: Elle MacPherson? 
TIM MACINDOE 
: —not Elle; Annie McPherson— 
who died 5 August 1928 
“And the Lord God planted a garden.” 
He did indeed and a beautiful garden Parana Park will remain for Hamiltonians to enjoy for generations to come enhanced by the provisions of this bill promoted by the MP for Hamilton East. 
Members opposite also asked during earlier debates about the origins of our city’s name. The area now covered by our city was originally the site of a handful of Maori villages including Pukete in the north in my electorate Miropiko and Kirikiriroa which I am advised by the Hon Nanaia Mahuta who also represents our city in this House means long stretch of gravel and from which our city takes its Maori name. 
The English name Hamilton commemorates Captain John Charles Fane Hamilton who was born in Scotland in 1822. His grandfather was for a period the MP for Oxford in the House of Commons. His father was an army colonel and his uncle was a rear admiral. With a pedigree like that it is probably not surprising that Hamilton joined the navy when he was a mere 13 years of age and served in many parts of the world including China the Americas and the Crimea. His bravery at the siege of Sebastopol which led to the Russian defeat in the Crimean War earned him promotion to the rank of commander. 
He was subsequently appointed captain of the  
Esk 
 a corvette or gunship and was sent to New Zealand where he served in the Waikato campaign of the New Zealand Wars. Hamilton was killed in action in the Battle of Gate Pa. The member for Tauranga is here and no doubt has frequently visited his grave for Hamilton is buried where he died in 1864 at the cemetery close to the embankment where he fell. The gold-plated Royal Navy officer’s sword owned and used by Captain Hamilton during the Waikato campaigns and the Battle of Gate Pa were subsequently gifted to the Hamilton City Council and it is a significant exhibit at Te Whare Taonga O Waikato the Waikato Museum which is located just across the Waikato River opposite Parana Park. 
Just to set at rest the troubled minds on the other side of the House I am delighted to confirm to those rude mechanicals opposite that there are no piranhas in the stream running through Parana Park and that the missing square metre that was so lamented by Mr Shearer is not really missing at all nor is it in Mr Bennett’s back garden on River Road. In fact that missing acre is exactly where it has always been and always will be after we band of brothers and sisters have shuffled off this mortal coil. 
It is a relief to have reached this point after the bubble bubble toil and trouble of the contributions of members opposite. Their bizarre contributions to the progress of this bill through the House are memorable for all the wrong reasons. During the second reading and especially in the Committee stage members opposite gave us a case of—if Churchill will forgive me—never was so much said by so many of so little. Or to borrow from the Bard again we heard from members opposite and not for the first time a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing. The manner in which Labour members milked their performances to keep a debate going despite unanimous support for the measure was reminiscent of Nick Bottom’s protracted demise in Pyramus and Thisbe and had a similar impact on those who waited patiently for the puffery to peter out. They traversed from dubious history through tragedy to comedy. 
It has taken nearly a year for this important but uncontroversial measure to complete its passage through this House. The purpose of the Hamilton City Council (Parana Park) Land Vesting Bill has been more than thoroughly outlined and examined during that period. I simply conclude this debate by congratulating David Bennett our mayor Hamilton city councillors and all the citizens of the fine city of Hamilton on the fact that this bill is finally about to be passed. I look forward to Parana Park being well managed carefully maintained and an area of beauty to be enjoyed by many generations to come. 
Bill read a third time.