The Aramoana smelter issue can be seen simply as a debate on wise land use and in this sense it is an issue of very real interest to landscape architecture. In this study I examine one aspect of this issue - the graphic, illustrative and artistic work that has been generated in the course of the dispute. My object has been to gather as much of this material as I can obtain and present it, together with comment and a brief history of the issue, with the aim of examining the public presentation and perception of the issue.