Footprints on the Land

Contents Introduction...............................................................................................7 1 In the Beginning: The Early Settlement of Aotearoa New Zealand................................................................................... 11 The Arrival of Humans......................................................................15 The Passing of the Forest...................................................................17 ‘A Peculiar Country’..........................................................................21 Early Conservation Measures.............................................................24 2 Landscapes of Conflict............................................................. 29 3 Working on the Railway......................................................... 36 Connecting Two Main Centres.........................................................38 4 Exotic Introductions................................................................. 41 Ecological Imperialism (Animals).......................................................41 Becoming Acclimatised......................................................................46 Human Interference and Undisciplined Biological Upheaval (Plants)...............................................................................................47 5 Out of the Ground.................................................................. 54 An Auriferous Field (Gold)................................................................54 Coal and the Environment.................................................................58 Golden Gum.....................................................................................60 6 ‘Good Sheep Land’: The Farming of New Zealand.................... 63 7 Building in a Hurry: The Urbanisation of New Zealand............. 69 Loss of Heritage.................................................................................75 Quarried Away: The Volcanic Cones of Auckland.............................76 8 Draining and Flooding............................................................. 80 ‘Nature’s Kidneys’..............................................................................80 Power to the People..........................................................................84 9 Coping with Cars: The Onslaught of the Automobile................ 90 10 The Bigger Picture................................................................... 96 Town and Country............................................................................98 On the Roads.................................................................................. 101 Cultural Concerns............................................................................ 103 Facing the Consequences................................................................. 105 Disturbing Nature............................................................................ 108 Notes...................................................................................................... 111 Bibliography............................................................................................ 127 Index....................................................................................................... 139