Inside Auckland: Cornwall Park

Auckland’s inner-city suburb of Greenlane is set to grow in population by 700 lambs as Cornwall Park prepares to welcome its newest residents.

Cornwall Park farmer Peter Maxwell and his staff have begun the busiest spell of their year, preparing for lambing and calving, which is a traditional drawcard for the 4 million people who visit the park every year.

The spring season is the highlight of the year for Maxwell, the farm manager since 2007, according to Cornwall Park spokeswoman Phillippa Price.

“Part of the role is to explain to people how the farm and its animals are cared for, but Peter enjoys other people’s perspectives on the farming at Cornwall Park,” said Ms Price.

“The public interaction at the park is a big part of farming here as it is a very busy and popular park.”

Price said they anticipate 700 lambs to be born this season. “Cows are also having calves so it is a very busy time of year for Peter and his farm hand Brenton. They’re checking on the farm and the lambs over three times a day.”

The team have a well planned strategy, Price said. “Newborns are moved to paddocks away from dog walkers before being moved to busier areas when they are older and fitter.”

Cornwall Park staff are reluctant to talk about the prospect of sheep rustling striking the urban parkland once again as they prepare for the arrival of the lambs over the next nine weeks.

Ms Price said they won’t discuss the threat of rustling because it draws negative publicity and is a police matter.

Last year, at least six sheep, including two pregnant ewes and a 110kg ram, were stolen from the park, while another ewe had to be freed from a leg-hold trap, angering the SPCA and Federated Farmers.

“We have a lot of visitors up here and we love showing them the sheep and the lambs so when something like this happens it’s not good,” Maxwell told Fairfax last year.

Park visitors are dissuaded from touching the lambs for fear that it will interfere with their scent and cause rejection by the mother ewe.

However members of the public can celebrate the lambs’ arrival at three themed ‘Daffodil Day’ events in August and September.

The Daffodil Days are taking place at Twin Oak Drive in Cornwall Park on Sundays, August, 16, 23 and 30 from 1-3pm.