Story: Roads

Surveyor in the North Island, 1885

Surveyor in the North Island, 1885

A surveyor stands over a survey peg hammered in the ground, while a Māori assistant holds the stand for his theodolite. Two other assistants hold sickles for clearing scrub. The tents of the survey party are visible in the background. Surveyors laid out the lines of roads – some of which were never built. These are today termed ‘paper roads’.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: PUBL-0110-1885-001

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:

Carl Walrond, 'Roads - Building roads', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/23300/surveyor-in-the-north-island-1885 (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Carl Walrond, published 11 Mar 2010, updated 1 Mar 2016