Mistakenly called an Araucaria imbricata (old name for the monkey puzzle tree) this bunya bunya was reported to have been vandalised by having branches broken off in May 1932 [1]. It obviously survived and now forms a significant sight in the outfield of the cricket grounds of Nelson Park. This large sports ground was part of a large reclamation project involving drainage of the Ahuriri lagoon and swamp. It is named after Mr William Nelson, a leader of the reclamation project and one of the local pioneers of the frozen meat trade. Mr Nelson also took pleasure in gardens with his Hastings property 'Waikoko' being a well-known garden. The area around Nelson Park featured in city beautification projects from as early as 1918, and it is very close to the famous Kennedy Rd double avenue of Phoenix palms (a group of phoenix palms also features in Nelson Park). No information can be found on a planting date but given its size and the fact that branches were broken off in 1932, circa 1925 looks a reasonable estimate. Nelson Park School borders the park with children from the school frequently using the park, consequently when the bunya bunya sets cones it is screened off by safety barriers [2] (Lloyd, M., 2026).

References
1. Page 3 Advertisements Column 2 Hawke's Bay Tribune, 1 June 1932, p. 3
2. Information provided by Lisa Velvis, Office Manager, Nelson Park School. Many thanks to Lisa for this information and for supplying the photographs.