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Story: Weeds of the bush

Blackberry patch

Audio file

Listen to George Paul of Te Awamutu talk about the introduction of blackberries to the King Country. Blackberries were first noticed growing wild in New Zealand in 1899.

Transcript

Captain Brock[?] I understand, got the blackberry plants from England and planted them carefully out there in sheltered spots where they weren't likely to feel the weather. When I went out there the place was practically covered with blackberries, all over the show. It was worse than taken a place in a state of nature, blackberries and gorse. They both agreed that they never saw blackberries grow like that in the old country, the way they do so well from a blackberry point of view, or gorse either, there was gorse there as thick as your thigh.

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Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Reference: 5138

Image: Jock Phillips

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How to cite this page

Bob Brockie, Weeds of the bush – Vines and scramblers, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/speech/13619/blackberry-patch (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Bob Brockie, published 2 March 2009, updated 18 April 2016.