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Kōrero: Rural language

Wild Irishman

Image
Wild Irishman

Wild Irishman or matagouri (Discaria toumatou) shrub was often a problem for early settlers in Central Otago and the eastern South Island. Not only could its thorns inflict a painful wound, but it inhibited the growth of pasture. The word matagouri is a corruption of the shrub’s Māori name, tūmatakuru.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Private collection

by Maggy Wassilieff

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

Dianne Bardsley, Rural language – Farming difficulties, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/18605/wild-irishman (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Dianne Bardsley, i tāngia i te 1 March 2009.