Kōrero: Conifers

These men are grading butter for export in kahikatea boxes, in the late 1930s. Most areas of kahikatea forest were cleared for dairy farming in the early years of European settlement. The timber was used to make butter boxes and cheese crates for export. Kahikatea’s white, odourless and easily worked timber was unmatched for this purpose, as it did not taint the produce during its long journey to overseas markets.