Story: Farming and the environment

The Canterbury Plains, 1850

The Canterbury Plains, 1850

After Māori arrived in New Zealand, they altered the landscape by burning forest and cultivating crops. When European settlers arrived, the pace of change increased with the introduction of large-scale agriculture. This painting by Frederick Weld shows a scene beside the Waimakariri River in 1850.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: A-269-011
Watercolour by Frederick Aloysius Weld

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:

Julia Haggerty and Hugh Campbell, 'Farming and the environment - A modified landscape', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/17874/the-canterbury-plains-1850 (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by Julia Haggerty and Hugh Campbell, published 24 Nov 2008