Ground Broken for New Recreational Facility in New Zealand
Contributed By By Michael Ann McKinlay, Church News staff writer
Latter-day Saints and community representatives broke ground November 4, 2013, for a new recreational facility near the Hamilton New Zealand Temple.
Article Highlights
- Approximately 100 guests attended the groundbreaking ceremony on November 4.
- The facility will include a campground with 12 cabins and tents, cooking facilities, and showers and toilets.
- The site will accommodate up to 400 people.
“The facility will be a place where nature and faith will grow side by side.” —Elder David Thomson, Area Seventy
Related Links
HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND
Some new additions are coming to the area surrounding the Hamilton New Zealand Temple.
Elder David Thomson, an Area Seventy, spoke to approximately 100 guests at the groundbreaking ceremony on November 4 to introduce a new recreational facility, which is being developed by the Church just a few minutes’ walk from the temple.
“The facility will be a place where nature and faith will grow side by side,” Elder Thomson said in a news release.
The proposed plan includes two large pavilions, two amphitheaters, a sports field, and campfire gathering areas. Included in the campground will be 12 cabins and tents, cooking facilities, showers, and toilets. The site will accommodate up to 400 people.
Once the construction is completed, it will be ready to be used by LDS youth, wards, stakes, and other groups.
Roger Hamon, a local Church member who has cared for the plants and property surrounding the temple for many years, was recognized during the ceremony.
“There has always been a lovely spirit here,” Brother Hamon said in a news release. “I wanted to make it beautiful so that people would want to come and enjoy the feeling here. It has expanded beyond my dreams.”
Those in attendance included Elder Paul R. Coward, an Area Seventy; President Thomas Sutcliffe of the Hamilton New Zealand Glenview Stake; President John A. Kendall of the Temple View New Zealand Stake; and President Dale P. Anderson of the Hamilton New Zealand Stake, along with their wives and other family members.
Roger Hamon addresses the crowd at the groundbreaking on November 4, saying there is a “lovely spirit here.” He has planted trees and cared for the property surrounding the Hamilton New Zealand Temple for many years. Photo by Gill Ballard.
Elder David Thomson addresses people assembled for the groundbreaking ceremony for a new recreational facility near the Hamilton New Zealand Temple. Photo by Gill Ballard.
Hamon's Bush is part of the site that will be developed as a recreational area near the Hamilton New Zealand Temple.
