Story: Te Māori i te ohanga – Māori in the economy

Potato crop

Potato crop

This painting of a fortified around 1845 shows a potato field (top right). Potatoes began to be grown on a commercial scale soon after they were introduced, particularly in the far north, to supply whalers. Potatoes and pigs were such important trade items they served as a currency for a number of years in New Zealand.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: A-079-031
Watercolour by Cyprian Bridge

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:

Basil Keane, 'Te Māori i te ohanga – Māori in the economy - Early trade with Pākehā', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/25762/potato-crop (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Basil Keane, published 11 Mar 2010