Skip to main content

Story: Modern mapping and surveying

Kāingaroa plains baseline, 1914

This map, published in the Department of Lands and Survey’s 1914 annual report, shows the baseline on the Kāingaroa plains (in red) and the triangulation spreading from it. The baseline was established during 1912–13 as the basis for triangulation of a large area of the eastern North Island. It took the longest to measure of all New Zealand’s baselines – 49 days. It was hampered by a lack of water, which had to be carted in for both people and horses.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Reference: Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1914, C-1A

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Melanie Lovell-Smith, Modern mapping and surveying – Geodetic triangulation, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/zoomify/18898/kaingaroa-plains-baseline-1914 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Melanie Lovell-Smith, published 1 March 2009, updated 1 August 2018.