Sheep farming Tongariro District, 1855-1918 : Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Diploma in Parks and Recreation at Lincoln University College, Canterbury

Abstract

This study examines the history of sheep farming within what is now the boundary of Tongariro National Park and the adjacent region during the period 1855 to 1918.

The three main sections of the study are (1) the history of the sheep farming operations (2) consideration as to what effect the activities may have had on the establishment and development of the park (3) the effect the sheep farming may have had on the native vegetation of the park.

It was considered that no meaningful study would have been made without examining the background of Maori occupation and use of the region prior to the arrival of the European settlers.

As the early settlers had two critical problems of access and competition from the various introduced wild animals; a chapter describes each of these problems.

The sheep-farming operations fall into five fairly clearly defined periods and localities with the first of these being the early attempts by Reverend Richard Grace to bring the benefits of agriculture and sheep-farming to the local Maori inhabitants from 18S5 to 1862. Then the intervening period from 1862 to 1878 when conflict between the Maoris and Europeans caused a cessation to all attempts by Europeans to settle the region. Following this period of conflict the Grace brothers and Messrs Studholme and Morrin commenced operations in 1878 with the Okahukura or Tongariro Run. In the same year Studholme and Morrin based their operation at Karioi with the greater part of their flock roaming land to the south of Mount Ruapehu but still with considerable numbers of sheep grazing the open Tussock lands on the southern and eastern slopes of the mountain. The last two attempts at sheep-fanning over parts of the park were those of L W Wall at Rangipo and Robison and Coy near Mangatepopo. Without doubt there was some minor sheep-fanning activity carried out by Maoris at Papakai and Otukou, but few details have been located.