Macquarie Island is ecologically similar to New Zealand’s five subantarctic groups, but as it is further west it is Australian territory. The island’s strongest link with New Zealand came with Joseph Hatch’s penguin-oil business between 1890 and 1920. Hatch was an Invercargill druggist and controversial politician, who sent teams of workers to Macquarie Island to boil penguins down for oil. The barrels in the foreground of this image are oil vats left over from his operations. As can be seen, penguin numbers have recovered.
Using this item
Department of Conservation
Reference:
10029684
Photograph by Brian Ahern
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