Before human arrival the Canterbury Plains were largely covered by forest, although there were probably a few areas of open grassland. Burning by the earliest Polynesian settlers destroyed nearly all the forest, apart from a few small remnants. When European settlers arrived in the 19th century they burnt the remaining forest stands and developed the land for intensive farming.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Private collection
Photograph by Christina Troup
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.
Tāpiritia te tākupu hou