Submitted by admin on April 22, 2009 - 23:08
Growth of Pastoral Industry
Similarly, the growth of the pastoral industry, on which the economy of the province mainly rests, is shown by a statistical summary:
| Sheep | |
| 1861 | 300,000 |
| 1871 | 904,000 |
| 1881 | 1·9 million |
| 1891 | 2·7 million |
| 1901 | 3·3 million |
| 1911 | 3·9 million |
| 1921 | 5·3 million |
| 1941 | 4·2 million |
| 1961 | 5·9 million |
The rapid increase between 1871 and 1901 would be related to clearing of bush, fern and scrub; a slow growth through 1901–1911 reflects decline in fertility of hill country; and an increase since 1911 would reflect improvement of lowland pastures. The sheep population has since been stable around the 1941 figures, but numbers of cattle on hill country have been increased as a means of improving control of grazing. The first sheep were Merinos, to be gradually crossed with strong-woolled Lincolns which in turn have been replaced by Romneys.
| Sown | Grassland (in acres) |
| 1861 | 3,700 |
| 1871 | 62,000 |
| 1881 | 661,000 |
| 1891 | 1·02 million |
| 1901 | 1·7 million |
| 1911 | 1·76 million |
| 1931 | 1·42 million |
| 1941 | 1·91 million |
| 1951 | 1·88 million |
| 1961 | 2·00 million |
The years of biggest expansion of new farmlands were 1871–1895. Since that time progress has mainly been by way of improving pasture quality on the lower and more accessible country.
by George Jobberns, C.B.E., M.A., D.SC., Emeritus Professor of Geography, University of Canterbury.
- Tutira, Guthrie-Smith, H. (third ed. 1953)
- History of Hawke's Bay, Wilson, J. G., et. al. (1939)
- The Story of Hawke's Bay, Reed, A. H. (1958)
- New Zealand Geographer, Oct 1954, “The Pastoral Fringe in Hawke's Bay”, Pirie, P. N. D.
