Kōrero: Kauri forest

From the mid-1820s, kauri timber stations were established around the coast and on rivers in the top half of the North Island to meet the overseas demand for spars and timber. This kauri milling camp on the Wairoa River in Northland was painted by artist and surveyor Charles Heaphy in 1839. In the foreground, men haul a log into position. Behind them a squared-off log is suspended so it can be cut into planks by two men using a pit saw, one standing above the log and one beneath.