Ellerslie Flower Show

The Ellerslie International Flower Show is an annual garden show held each November. Although previously in Auckland, from 2008 the show will be in Christchurch, New Zealand at Hagley Park.

Each year, over 65,000 people visit the show during the five days in which it is open to the public.The show has been held every year since 1994, except 1997.

The first show was held in the Auckland suburb of Ellerslie at the Ellerslie RaceCourse in 1994. The members of The Rotary Club of Auckland wanted to establish a unique fundraiser to raise money for local charities so they decided to host an event modeled on the famous Chelsea Flower Show in England. As of 2007 it has distributed a total of $700,000 for charity.

In 1998 it was moved to Manurewa, South Auckland, where it was held at the Auckland Botanical Gardens until the final show November 2007.

In 2004 the Rotary Club of Auckland sold the business to EFS Charitable Trust and SMC Group Ltd which now operates the event, with the intention of providing support at a community level and to the horticultural industry.

On 19 November 2007 the organisers sold the name and their services to the Christchurch City Council. The show is worth $14 million to the regional economy each year. [cite news|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1318241/1454062|title=Garden City clinches Ellerslie show|publisher=Television New Zealand|date=19 November 2007] Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee suggests that a new flower show will be organised in Auckland to replace the Ellerslie Flower Show. [cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10477118|title=Auckland to have a 'better' flower show|publisher=New Zealand Herald|date=20 November 2007|author=Bernard Orsman and Jarrod Booker]

On the 2nd December 2007 Auckland Flower Show Ltd announced that they will be continuing the tradition of the annual flower shows in Auckland with the Auckland Flower Show 2008.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz/ Official website]
* [http://www.theflowershow.co.nz/ Official website of the Auckland Flower Show 2008]