Long-serving Botanic Garden “staff” member Basil was put to sleep on 20 September. Although only 12 years old, he had cancer.

Red-haired and handsome, Basil was arguably the most popula rmember of staff,most definitely with Garden visitors. Basil was very much his own man and had, throughout his life, firmly resisted any attempts to “own” him.

In early 1998 Kelburn vet Vicki Melville found him as a six month old kitten, lost and lonely, on the street, where he had been following people and trying to get into cars. As she is wont to do with strays, she took him home to the clinic, advertising to try to f ind his  people. Her neighbours then tried to adopt him but he preferred Vicki’s flat, despite the fact that the resident Burmese loathed him. Back to the neighbours, the idea was he’d have the perfect home because they had a female kitten around the same age and she absolutely adored Basil. But he wasn’t having any of that – and apparently, his girlfriend has never gotten over being jilted.

Basil set out to live the life of a hobo, being returned to Vicki from many parts of Wellington, including once from halfway to Makara. While some of the places he’s allegedly been found are probably urban legend, it is true that Basil has been down and back up on the cable car. He then started consistently visiting the Garden, and after Vicki had retrieved him several times, she realised he had finally decided on a home base. WWF staff , who had offices in the Treehouse, said, “We think he’s cute and we won’t mind feeding him,” and the deal was struck. Vicki and the Kelburn vet practice took care of him when he occasionally needed treatment, but
otherwise Basil remained a rugged individual and always went where he wanted to go.

He could often be found lying regally on a bench, anywhere from the duck pond to the rose garden, allowing Garden visitors to admire him. He could well have been the most photographed cat in the city. He was a most convivial chap and sometimes attended meetings in the seminar room, as the Friends can attest to. We left bowls of water out for him but his preferred tipple was straight from the tap. He’d sit in the sink staring at you until you got the hint and turned the tap on a little. In winter he liked to laze the day away in one of the offices or gardeners’ messes, hogging the heater and grumbling in his sleep.

Sleep  well, Basil……..