Story: Rural language

The bush (2nd of 2)

The bush

The dense, dark New Zealand bush was quite different from the forests of the northern hemisphere. Most settlers saw it as an obstacle to the establishment of farms and settlements. Some, like surveyor and artist William Mein Smith who painted this bush scene in the Wairarapa in the 1840s or 1850s, appreciated its wild beauty.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: A-263-027
Watercolour by William Mein Smith

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:

Dianne Bardsley, 'Rural language - The evolution of rural language', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/18582/the-bush (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by Dianne Bardsley, published 24 Nov 2008