I have been reading Kenneth B. Cumberland’s 1981 book Landmarks recently. The book, which was published in parallel with a television series of the same name,* is a colourful presentation (both in the literal and metaphorical sense) of Cumberland’s views on New Zealand’s environmental history, supplemented by many photographs and illustrations. Some of the archaeological and palaoecological information is now somewhat outdated (for instance, the dates that humans first settled New Zealand and other radio-carbon dates), but it is nevertheless a highly worthwhile read – (more…)
February 11, 2012
Christchurch – a city built on buried forests?
Posted by envirohistorynz under book review, commentary | Tags: buried forest, Christchurch, erosion, fires of Tamatea, Kenneth Cumberland, Landmarks, Maori impact on the environment, moa-hunters, prehistoric deforestation, Waimakariri River |1 Comment
November 12, 2011
History shaping the future – NZHA conference
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: Catherine Knight, Christchurch, Christchurch earthquake, Environmental History, Eric Pawson, erosion, floods, geographer, Kenneth Cumberland, Landmarks, natural disasters, New Zealand, New Zealand Historical Association Conference, Tom Brooking |Leave a Comment
Next week’s New Zealand Historical Association Conference features a special four-person panel dedicated to environmental history. The panel is entitled: “History shaping the future: how environmental history research can inform environmental policy and management”, and will feature papers by Professors Katie Pickles and Eric Pawson (both from Canterbury University), Professor Tom Brooking (Otago University) and Dr Catherine Knight (envirohistory NZ). (more…)
August 6, 2011
Forgotten streams, urban wetlands and Scandinavians: top posts for second quarter 2011
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: Christchurch, earthquake, Environmental History, hidden streams, Manawatu, New Zealand, Scandanavian settlers, top posts, Tui Mine, urban wetland, Waitangi Park |Leave a Comment
As anticipated, the top posts for the last quarter have been Christchurch-related, with Earthquake reveals the forgotten streams of Christchurch and Christchurch: a city haunted by its environmental past? being overwhelmingly the most popular (864 and 627 views respectively). Next was the post Waitangi Park – an urban wetland recreated, about the recently (re-)created wetland in central Wellington (376 hits). (more…)
May 11, 2011
Earthquake reveals the forgotten streams of Christchurch
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: 1850s map, aerial map, Avon River, Christchurch, Christchurch CBD, Di Lucas, earthquake, Environmental History, future Christchurch, landscape architect, liquefaction, Pyne Gould Corporation building, streams, swamp, town planning, TV3 news, wetlands |[3] Comments
As explored in the earlier post Christchurch – a city haunted by its environmental past, Christchurch’s environmental history had serious – arguably fatal – implications in the February earthquake. As the post discussed, this related especially to the fact that much of what is now a city was once a vast swamp, comprised not only of the two rivers that still run through the city (the Avon and Heathcote), but also numerous other streams that fed an extensive wetland system. (more…)
May 1, 2011
Scandinavians, earthquakes & whales: top 5 posts of first quarter of 2011
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: Canterbury earthquake, Christchurch, Environmental History, Japanese tsunami, last whaling station, Manawatu, New Zealand, Palmerston North, Perano, Scandanavian settlers, Tohoku, top 5 posts of quarter, urban wetland, Waitangi Park, Wellington, whaling |Leave a Comment
At envirohistory NZ, we like to review the most popular posts of each quarter (though sometimes – such as on this occasion – a little late). The top five posts of the first quarter of 2011 covered a wide breadth of topics, from the the environmental histories which contributed to the devastating consequences of the seismic disasters of Christchurch and Japan; an urban wetland; a history of whaling in New Zealand; and the Scandanavian settlers of the Manawatu. Here are the topics in order of hits:
1. The Scandinavian settlers of the Manawatu
2. Waitangi Park – an urban wetland recreated
3. Christchurch: a city haunted by its environmental past? (more…)
April 10, 2011
Environmental history of the future: could Christchurch become our “Greenest City”?
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: bio-fuel, carbon emissions, Christchurch, earthquake, Environmental History, Green City, Hugh Morris, innovation, Lakes Water Quality Society, Mayor Bo Frank, Rotorua, Rotorua Lakes, Rotorua Lakes Symposium, spegelbollen sculpture, sustainability, Sweden, timber structure buildings, Växjö, vision |[11] Comments
Last week, I was privileged enough to attend the Rotorua Lakes Symposium in Rotorua City. This symposium, themed “Fix a lake and grow a city”, brought together scientists, politicians, natural resource managers, landscape architects, academics, tangata whenua, business people and many others to explore ways in which the lakes of Rotorua can be restored to create wealth and wellbeing in the Rotorua district. (more…)
February 26, 2011
Christchurch: a city haunted by its environmental past?
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: 1995, 22 February 2011, Avon River, Christchurch, Christchurch Cathedral, Durham Street, earthquake, Environmental History, future cities, Geoffrey Rice, Gloucestor Street, Gothic revival architecture, Heathcote River, heritage buildings, Kobe, liquefaction, Lyttelton Harbour, New Zealand, Oxford Terrace, Papanui Bush, Riccarton Bush, Rokko Island, swamp, swamp forest, water table, wetland |[4] Comments
It is with both horror and immeasurable sadness that I contemplate the tragic consequences of last Tuesday’s massive earthquake on the city that I lived in for 8 years, and which I still regard with immense affection. I cannot even begin to imagine how life must be like for its residents today, especially those who have friends or family who have perished. (more…)
September 4, 2010
envirohistory NZ podcast – episode 4 out now!
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary, podcast | Tags: Beyond the Scene, Canterbury, Christchurch, Dean's Bush, Gordon Stephenson, Hokio Stream, Horowhenua, kahikatea, Kaitiaki, Levin, Maori and the environment, New Zealand, Ngati Pareraukawa, podcast, podocarp forest, QEII Trust |1 Comment
Episode 4 of the envirohistory NZ podcast series is now out. This episode explores three environmental histories – which, while diverse in both their time-spans and their human protagonists, are all connected by a common theme. The first of these stories begins in the early 1800s, and features a Maori hapu and its relationship with its coastal Horowhenua environment [click here to read original post]. The next one, is of pioneering Scottish settlers in the 1840s, and their longsighted protection of a remnant of swamp forest in what was to become Christchurch [click here to read original post]. The third and final, more recent, story is of a dairy farmer and the indigenous forest remnant encompassed by his south Waikato farm [click here to read original post]. (more…)
June 21, 2010
The place of an echo: Pūtaringamotu (Deans Bush)
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: Brian Molloy, Canterbury earthquake, Christchurch, conservationists, David Young, Dean's Bush, Deans Homestead, Environmental History, Geoffrey Rice, Harry Ell, Homebush, Jane Deans, John Deans, kahikatea, Leonard Cockayne, milling, New Zealand, Ngai Tahu, Ngāi Tūāhuriri, Pūtaringamotu, Riccarton, Riccarton Bush, Riccarton House, Scotland, September 4 earthquake, settlers, Stephen Tweedy, William Dean |1 Comment
When Europeans began arriving in the Canterbury region in the early 1800s, most of the swamp forest – dominated by matai, totara and kahikatea (white pine) – that covered much of the Canterbury Plains in previous centuries was gone. It is thought that it had been destroyed by a great fire that swept across the plains during the moa hunter period, leaving only a scattered bush remnants. (more…)
May 18, 2012
What is a groyne? (And what’s it got to do with environmental history?)
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: Christchurch, deforestation, erosion, flood control, groynes, Manawatu River, The Groynes, Waimakariri River, willows |[2] Comments
Had I had the curiosity to investigate, I would have found out that “The Groynes” derives its name from large blocks, made from concrete filled woolsacks, which were placed in the (more…)
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