Story: Fire and agriculture

Fern garden, Mt MacKay

Fern garden, Mt MacKay

Julius Haast’s painting of Mt MacKay at Lake Rotoroa illustrates Māori agricultural burning practice. The fern garden in the foreground could only have been maintained by regular burning, to prevent the nearby forest from reclaiming it.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: A-108-034
Ink and wash drawing by Johann Franz Julius von Haast

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Robert Peden, 'Fire and agriculture - Fire and Māori agriculture', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/15205/fern-garden-mt-mackay (accessed 27 April 2024)

Story by Robert Peden, published 24 Nov 2008