Skip to main content

Kōrero: Farm fencing

Fenced area, 1851–87

Image
Fenced area, 1851–87

Before the mid-1860s, farmers had to build fences from materials that were readily available or grown on the farm. Then lightweight fencing wire became available, and about 6 million hectares of farmland were fenced over the next 20 years – mainly on flat land. The next major boom in fencing was not until the 1950s, with the advent of aerial topdressing and the use of aircraft to transport fencing materials onto hill country.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Statistics New Zealand

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.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Robert Peden, Farm fencing – Wire fencing, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/graph/19906/fenced-area-1851-87 (accessed 25 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Robert Peden, i tāngia i te 1 March 2009.