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Story: Flax and flax working

Washing flax fibre

Image
Washing flax fibre

The stripped flax fibre is washed to get rid of any remaining leaf matter. This woman is one of many Māori who worked in the flax industry.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Northwood Collection (PA-Group-00027)

Reference: 1/1-010560; G

by Arthur James Northwood

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, Flax and flax working – The flax fibre industry: 1860s–1930s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/10411/washing-flax-fibre (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 1 March 2009.