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Story: Trees in the rural landscape

Bush clearance

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Bush clearance

The first hill country farmers in New Zealand had little regard for trees. They had spent a great deal of time clearing the native forest to sow grass for pastures, and did not want to sacrifice any of their hard-earned gains for unproductive trees. Stumps can be seen in these paddocks on a farm near Pohangina, Manawatū, in the 1910s.

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Palmerston North City Library

Reference: 2007N_Sf9_RTL_0889

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How to cite this page

Maggy Wassilieff, Trees in the rural landscape – Native trees on farms, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/19717/bush-clearance (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Maggy Wassilieff, published 1 March 2009.