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Story: National parks

Promoting New Zealand scenery

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Promoting New Zealand scenery

This 1890 government tourism poster shows New Zealand’s mountain scenery on an artist’s palette, stressing its picturesque quality. A desire to attract tourists led some officials to support the concept of national parks.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: Eph-A-TOURISM-NZ-1890-01

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

Nancy Swarbrick, National parks – National parks – the beginnings, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/ephemera/14420/promoting-new-zealand-scenery (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 August 2015.