The history of agricultural education in this country begins a long time back: it could be claimed — indeed it has been claimed — that it began when Marsden and the first missionaries brought implements, seeds, and domestic animals to New Zealand and instructed the Maoris of North Auckland in their cultivation and use. The intention in this article, however, is to consider only formal instruction given in educational institutions.

Instruction has always been available at three levels (clear-cut in organisation if vague in intention and content) in the primary and post-primary schools, and for a long time at the higher level provided only at the Lincoln School of Agriculture. Today, however, well-organised agricultural education is provided at university level in Lincoln College and the Faculty of Agriculture of Massey University of Manawatu, while other post-school training, formal and informal, is offered by a wide variety of educational agencies.