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Story: Kauri gum and gum digging

Scraping gum

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Scraping gum

When diggers returned to their huts, there was still work to be done – the tedious but necessary task of scraping the oxidised crust off the gum. Unscraped kauri gum sold for much less than scraped gum. In the evenings by candlelight, and on Sundays, diggers would use a knife to scrape off the rind.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Northwood Collection (PA-Group-00027)

Reference: 1/1-006278; G

by Arthur James Northwood

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Kauri gum and gum digging – Gum digging methods, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/12963/scraping-gum (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 1 March 2009.