The slopes of Mount Taranaki/Egmont were originally reserved to protect the adjacent farm lands from the effects of erosion and flash flood. In 1900 these lands became New Zealand's second national park.
Tutira: the story of a New Zealand sheep station was first published in 1921 - this detailed environmental case study is now considered a classic of its type
Henry Reynolds' new factory at Pukekura, Waikato, produced its first butter. The brand name was allegedly inspired by a tattoo worn by one of Reynolds' workers.
Held at the South Pacific Hotel in Auckland, this competition was open to all members of the Young Farmers' Club. The inaugural winner was Gary Fraser from Swannanoa, near Christchurch. The contest has since become an established part of the farming calendar.
During his second voyage to New Zealand James Cook released a ewe and a ram from the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) in Queen Charlotte Sound. They survived only a few days, an inauspicious start to this country's long association with sheep.
In the 1890s the Liberal government was determined to break up big estates for closer settlement by small farmers. The first major purchase under this policy was the Cheviot Estate in north Canterbury.
The missionary John Butler turned New Zealand's first furrow at Kerikeri, writing: ‘I trust that this day will be remembered with gratitude, and its anniversary kept by ages yet unborn.’
The Agricultural and Pastoral show aimed to demonstrate excellence in agriculture and animal husbandry. These shows became an annual event in communities throughout New Zealand.
First held at the Masterton War Memorial Stadium in 1961, the Golden Shears competition has become an icon of the shearing and wool-handling industry in New Zealand.
From 1840 until the first decades of the 20th century, mass burn-offs were a feature of farm land development. By 1920 the farm land area of New Zealand had reached its peak although fields of blackened stumps remained a feature for many decades.
