Kauri Timber Days

This "Pictorial Account of the Kauri Timber Industry in New Zealand" is a comapion volume to Bruce Hawyard's study of the Kauri Gum industry. The Kauri timber was an early economic discovery by seafarers in the late 1700s and early 1800s, when the younger trees were prized for use as spars. Confined to the northern third of the North Island the Kauri was soon recognised by early settlers as an excellent timber for dwellings and other strutures. Quickly an important idustry develped around the Kauri forests. Originally covering 1.2 million hectares, this area had been reduced by 75per cent by the late 1800s and today only 4000 hectares remain of these majestic giants of the forest, mostly in protected parks and reserves. Mainly pictorial, with extended captions telling the story of the Kauri industry, the feature of the booklet is its excellent collection of contemporary photographys. Part of a "Pictures from the Past" series, it was first published 1991, with this second printing 1994. 48 pages, b/w photos throughout, sketches, map showing the area where the Kauri flourished. Pictorial card covers VG+, text block excellent, no inscriptions. …