Kōrero: Northland region

The timber trade was at the heart of Northland’s economy in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Trees, particularly kauri, were felled and milled for export and the building industry. Workers lived in isolated communities, often in bleak and primitive surroundings. In this photograph from about 1910, children pose in front of a rough slab dwelling, while behind them a bullock team hauls felled logs.