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Story: Sheep farming

Sheep and cattle, Taranaki

Sheep and cattle, Taranaki

Because of the high rainfall in Taranaki, cattle did very well there, but Merino sheep did not. Early settlers imported sheep from Britain that were more suited to the wet conditions, but cattle always did better, and the area became known for dairying. This 1867 watercolour shows the small scale of farming in the North Island’s bush districts. Large-scale sheep farming was booming in the South Island by this time.

About this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: C-030-003
Watercolour by Richard Pheney

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

How to cite this page:

Hugh Stringleman and Robert Peden. 'Sheep farming', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 27-Sep-11
URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/sheep-farming/2/4