I have been reading the recently published Seeds of Empire: the Environmental Transformation of New Zealand, and have made a few surprising discoveries. One was how much of an impact the Korean War had on the New Zealand rural landscape. The War led, in fact, to the last phase of geographical expansion of the productive rural landscape, or the “farming frontier”, as the authors put it. (more…)
October 2011
Monthly Archive
October 30, 2011
How did the Korean War change the NZ landscape?
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: "farming frontier", 1950s, Environmental History, Eric Pawson, fertiliser, Fletcher aircraft, Korean War, marginal land, New Zealand, rural landscape, Seeds of Empire, sheep farming, Taihape, Tom Brooking, topdressing, wool boom |1 Comment
October 16, 2011
Manawatu history talk: Totara Reserve
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: Dr Catherine Knight, Environmental History, Jill White, Local History Week, lowland forest, Manawatu history, Palmerston North, Palmerston North City Library, podocarp forest, Pohangina River, Pohangina Valley, seminar, totara, Totara Reserve |1 Comment
Dr Catherine Knight will be presenting a talk on November 2nd about the history of Totara Reserve as part of this year’s Manawatu Local History Week [click here to download programme]. Entitled “Totara Reserve: a window into Manawatu’s environmental history“, the talk will explore how Totara Reserve was preserved initially for its timber, but within a few decades, when lowland forest elsewhere in the Manawatu had all but vanished, became a prized scenic and recreational reserve. By tracing the history of the reserve, we can better understand the changing attitudes and values of New Zealanders towards our natural heritage. (more…)
