'The land we have we must hold': Soil erosion and soil conservation in late nineteenth- and twentieth-century New Zealand

Journal of Historical Geography

Volumn 23, Issue 4, 1997, Pages 447-458

  Roche, Michael ^a  

^a MASSEY UNIVERSITY   (New Zealand)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

COLONIALISM; ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY; LAND SETTLEMENT; NATURE-SOCIETY RELATIONS; NINETEENTH CENTURY; SOIL CONSERVATION; SOIL EROSION; TWENTIETH CENTURY;

NEW ZEALAND;

EID: 0031413184     PISSN: 03057488     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1006/jhge.1997.0062     Document Type: Article

References (64)

1. G. O. Eyles, The distribution and severity of present soil erosion in New Zealand, New Zealand Geographer 39 (1983) 12-28. See also R. C. Derose, N. A. Trustrum and P. M. Blaschke, Post-deforestation soil loss from steepland hill slopes in Taranaki, New Zealand, Earth Surface Process and Landforms 18 (1993) 131-44 and W. J. Brown, Landslide control on North Island, New Zealand, Geographical Review 81 (1991) 457-72.
2. G. O. Eyles, The distribution and severity of present soil erosion in New Zealand, New Zealand Geographer 39 (1983) 12-28. See also R. C. Derose, N. A. Trustrum and P. M. Blaschke, Post-deforestation soil loss from steepland hill slopes in Taranaki, New Zealand, Earth Surface Process and Landforms 18 (1993) 131-44 and W. J. Brown, Landslide control on North Island, New Zealand, Geographical Review 81 (1991) 457-72.
3. G. O. Eyles, The distribution and severity of present soil erosion in New Zealand, New Zealand Geographer 39 (1983) 12-28. See also R. C. Derose, N. A. Trustrum and P. M. Blaschke, Post-deforestation soil loss from steepland hill slopes in Taranaki, New Zealand, Earth Surface Process and Landforms 18 (1993) 131-44 and W. J. Brown, Landslide control on North Island, New Zealand, Geographical Review 81 (1991) 457-72.
4. M. McSaveney and I. Whitehouse, Anthropic erosion of mountain land in Canterbury, New Zealand Journal of Ecology 12 (1981) 151-63.
5. H. S. Gibbs, J. D. Raeside, J. K. Dixon and A. J. Metson, Soil Erosion in the High Country of the South Island (Wellington 1945) and L. I. Grange and H. S. Gibbs, Soil Erosion in New Zealand, Part 1: Southern Half of North Island (Wellington 1947).
6. H. S. Gibbs, J. D. Raeside, J. K. Dixon and A. J. Metson, Soil Erosion in the High Country of the South Island (Wellington 1945) and L. I. Grange and H. S. Gibbs, Soil Erosion in New Zealand, Part 1: Southern Half of North Island (Wellington 1947).
7. K. B. Cumberland, Soil Erosion in New Zealand (Wellington 1944).
8. A. L. Poole, Catchment Control in New Zealand (Wellington 1978); A. R. Acheson, River Control and Drainage in New Zealand (Wellington 1968); D. A. Campbell, Landmarks in soil conservation, Soil and Water 3 (1966) 15-21; J. A. McCrae, A few historical notes on the NZ Catchment Authorities Associations (Inc), Soil and Water 3 (1966) 25-7. See also M. Roche, Deteriorated lands, soil erosion and rivers control: towards a political geography of soil conservation in New Zealand during the 1920s and 1930s, Proceedings of the Fifteenth New Zealand Geography Conference (Dunedin 1989) 108-17 and M. Roche, Land and Water (Wellington 1994).
9. A. L. Poole, Catchment Control in New Zealand (Wellington 1978); A. R. Acheson, River Control and Drainage in New Zealand (Wellington 1968); D. A. Campbell, Landmarks in soil conservation, Soil and Water 3 (1966) 15-21; J. A. McCrae, A few historical notes on the NZ Catchment Authorities Associations (Inc), Soil and Water 3 (1966) 25-7. See also M. Roche, Deteriorated lands, soil erosion and rivers control: towards a political geography of soil conservation in New Zealand during the 1920s and 1930s, Proceedings of the Fifteenth New Zealand Geography Conference (Dunedin 1989) 108-17 and M. Roche, Land and Water (Wellington 1994).
10. A. L. Poole, Catchment Control in New Zealand (Wellington 1978); A. R. Acheson, River Control and Drainage in New Zealand (Wellington 1968); D. A. Campbell, Landmarks in soil conservation, Soil and Water 3 (1966) 15-21; J. A. McCrae, A few historical notes on the NZ Catchment Authorities Associations (Inc), Soil and Water 3 (1966) 25-7. See also M. Roche, Deteriorated lands, soil erosion and rivers control: towards a political geography of soil conservation in New Zealand during the 1920s and 1930s, Proceedings of the Fifteenth New Zealand Geography Conference (Dunedin 1989) 108-17 and M. Roche, Land and Water (Wellington 1994).
11. A. L. Poole, Catchment Control in New Zealand (Wellington 1978); A. R. Acheson, River Control and Drainage in New Zealand (Wellington 1968); D. A. Campbell, Landmarks in soil conservation, Soil and Water 3 (1966) 15-21; J. A. McCrae, A few historical notes on the NZ Catchment Authorities Associations (Inc), Soil and Water 3 (1966) 25-7. See also M. Roche, Deteriorated lands, soil erosion and rivers control: towards a political geography of soil conservation in New Zealand during the 1920s and 1930s, Proceedings of the Fifteenth New Zealand Geography Conference (Dunedin 1989) 108-17 and M. Roche, Land and Water (Wellington 1994).
12. A. L. Poole, Catchment Control in New Zealand (Wellington 1978); A. R. Acheson, River Control and Drainage in New Zealand (Wellington 1968); D. A. Campbell, Landmarks in soil conservation, Soil and Water 3 (1966) 15-21; J. A. McCrae, A few historical notes on the NZ Catchment Authorities Associations (Inc), Soil and Water 3 (1966) 25-7. See also M. Roche, Deteriorated lands, soil erosion and rivers control: towards a political geography of soil conservation in New Zealand during the 1920s and 1930s, Proceedings of the Fifteenth New Zealand Geography Conference (Dunedin 1989) 108-17 and M. Roche, Land and Water (Wellington 1994).
13. A. L. Poole, Catchment Control in New Zealand (Wellington 1978); A. R. Acheson, River Control and Drainage in New Zealand (Wellington 1968); D. A. Campbell, Landmarks in soil conservation, Soil and Water 3 (1966) 15-21; J. A. McCrae, A few historical notes on the NZ Catchment Authorities Associations (Inc), Soil and Water 3 (1966) 25-7. See also M. Roche, Deteriorated lands, soil erosion and rivers control: towards a political geography of soil conservation in New Zealand during the 1920s and 1930s, Proceedings of the Fifteenth New Zealand Geography Conference (Dunedin 1989) 108-17 and M. Roche, Land and Water (Wellington 1994).
14. L. W. McCaskill, Hold This Land: A History of Soil Conservation in New Zealand (Wellington 1971).
15. Ibid.
16. This is exemplified by the SCRCC Bulletin series largely authored by Doug Campbell. Early titles included The Menace of Soil Erosion (1945), Public Enemy No. 1 (1947) and Down to the Sea in Slips (1948).
17. This is exemplified by the SCRCC Bulletin series largely authored by Doug Campbell. Early titles included The Menace of Soil Erosion (1945), Public Enemy No. 1 (1947) and Down to the Sea in Slips (1948).
18. This is exemplified by the SCRCC Bulletin series largely authored by Doug Campbell. Early titles included The Menace of Soil Erosion (1945), Public Enemy No. 1 (1947) and Down to the Sea in Slips (1948).
19. P. J. Taylor, The state as container: territoriality in the modern world-system, Progress in Human Geography 18 (1994) 151-62.
20. G. Poggi, The State, its Nature, Development and Prospects (Cambridge 1990) 110.
21. C. Tilly, Coercion, Capital and European States (Cambridge 1994) 96.
22. Ibid., 97.
23. N. Hudson, A world view of the development of soil conservation, Agricultural History 59 (1985) 326-39.
24. S. Dalby, Ecopolitical discourse: environmental security and political geography, Progress in Human Geography 16 (1992) 57.
25. C. Glacken, Traces on the Rhodian Shore (Berkeley 1967).
26. R. N. Sampson, For Love of the Land: A History of the National Association of Conservation Districts (Texas 1985) writes of a "crusade" against the "menace" of soil erosion, terms which approximate the 'warfare' metaphor in New Zealand. I. Simmons, Interpreting Nature (London 1993) discusses the "conquest of nature" as one of four historical constructions of environment.
27. R. N. Sampson, For Love of the Land: A History of the National Association of Conservation Districts (Texas 1985) writes of a "crusade" against the "menace" of soil erosion, terms which approximate the 'warfare' metaphor in New Zealand. I. Simmons, Interpreting Nature (London 1993) discusses the "conquest of nature" as one of four historical constructions of environment.
28. E. J. Pawson, Order and freedom: a cultural geography of New Zealand, in P. G. Holland and W. B. Johnston (Eds), Southern Approaches (Christchurch 1987) 307.
29. Ibid., 308.
30. K. Sinclair, A Destiny Apart: New Zealand's Search for National Identity (Wellington 1986) 8.
31. "A metaphor evokes a sensory image that gives a 'feel' for an idea, and thus it achieves a powerful, evocative impact on the identity between the two concepts." See R. M. Downs, Maps and metaphors, The Professional Geographer 33 (1981) 288.
32. J. Phillips, A Man's Country? The Image of the Pakeha Male: A History (Auckland 1987) 39.
33. Mulgan, a Rhodes Scholar, served with distinction behind the lines in Greece before committing suicide in mysterious circumstances in Cairo on 26 April (the day after ANZAC day) 1945.
34. D. A. Campbell, Tackling High Country 'Problem Land' at Molesworth (Wellington 1945) 3.
35. C. Wilkes, The state as historical subject: a periodization of state formation in New Zealand, in B. Roper and C. Rudd (Eds), State and Economy (Auckland 1993) 202-3.
36. Ibid., 203.
37. W. Gibson, High Country Address, Soil and Water 13 (1976) 19.
38. Royal Commission on the Sheep Farming Industries, Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives (AJHR), H46A, 1949.
39. Ibid., 58.
40. Ibid., 61.
41. Ibid., 66-8.
42. New Zealand Parliamentary Debates 286 (1949) 1115.
43. Ibid., 1129.
44. Ibid., 1246, W. L. Newnham, Soil Conservation in New Zealand, New Zealand Science Review 6 (1948) 47-55.
45. Ibid., 1246, W. L. Newnham, Soil Conservation in New Zealand, New Zealand Science Review 6 (1948) 47-55.
46. Ibid., 1246.
47. Ibid., 1413, under the heading of 'Misleading Information', the Commissioners noted that the "South Canterbury Catchment Board, as part of its prepared deliberate evidence placed before us a map of the Orari basin, many parts of which it being shown as severely eroded. From an examination of the map it appeared to us that the area was in a very bad condition. We were surprised therefore when before the end of the sitting one of the farmers whose property was the chief property in the mapped area challenged the information as being grossly untrue." AJHR, H46A, 1949, 64.
48. Ibid., 1414.
49. Report of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, AJHR, D1, 1949, 85.
50. L. McCaskill, Cost sharing for soil conservation in the high country, Tussock Grasslands and Mountain Lands Review 20 (1970) 15-24.
51. J. Hawley, Soil conservation - should the user pay? Soil and Water 23 (1986) 4-7.
52. Cumberland was the second geography appointment in the New Zealand university system and the foundation appointment and Professor of Geography at the University of Auckland from 1946 to 1978.
53. I. G. Kerr and M. H. Douglas, The economics of soil and water conservation plans for High Country properties 1962-1982, Tussock Grasslands and Mountain Lands Review 42 (1984) 95-110.
54. Ibid., 104.
55. Ibid., 105.
56. Treasury, Economic Management: Land Issues (Wellington 1984). See also K. M. Jacobson and A. K. Dragun, Water and soil management in New Zealand, Journal of Environment and Management 33 (1990) 1-16.
57. Treasury, Economic Management: Land Issues (Wellington 1984). See also K. M. Jacobson and A. K. Dragun, Water and soil management in New Zealand, Journal of Environment and Management 33 (1990) 1-16.
58. M. Roche, Restructuring water and soil administration, in S. Britton, R. Le Heron and E. Pawson (Eds), Changing Places in New Zealand (Christchurch 1991) 200-3.
59. Taylor, op. cit., 155.
60. R. P. Connell, Land deterioration in a grave phase of our national economy, New Zealand Journal of Agriculture 59 (1939) 4-12.
61. Campbell, op. cit., 4.
62. R. Semple, 'Foreword', in D. A. Campbell, First Steps in Soil Conservation (Wellington 1945).
63. The association of soil conservation with the nation gave rise to some intense departmental struggles for management of soil conservation programmes into the 1940s and 1950s. Both the Department of Agriculture and Ministry of Works had a stake in soil conservation and both sought to be the principal agency serving the SCRCC. The muted public rhetoric as to which organization was the real 'guardian of the soil' belied the fierceness of the behind the scenes confrontation. See M. Roche, Land and Water (Wellington 1994) 57-62.
64. The late growth of modern environmentalism in Australia was, Powell claims, partly based upon "ambivalences and anxieties linked with perceptions of foreign investment as a national issue. . . . Special ingredients of the Australian version of environmentalism included a strengthened nationalistic impulse embracing several deep ideological concerns, including 'self determination' in defence and a self conscious interest in aboriginal land rights." See J. M. Powell, An Historical Geography of Modern Australia (Cambridge 1988) 203.