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Story: Beach culture

Taranaki cliffs

Image
Taranaki cliffs

In this watercolour (1863–64) by John Tremenhere Johnston, two women are gathering shellfish from the rocks. In Māori communities the beach was an important source of food, providing pipi and tuatua from the sand, and kina and pāua from the rocks.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: B-079-024

by John Tremenhere Johnston

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

Jock Phillips, Beach culture – The beach and food, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/9104/taranaki-cliffs (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Jock Phillips, published 2 March 2009.