Heritage of Industry

Rusting boilers in stream beds and bush-covered tramlines are often our only links with the sweat and toil, ingenuity and risk-taking that were the making of New Zealand. In this engaging tour of the country's industrial history, Nigel Smith invites the reader to surviving industrial heritage sites - places that testify there was a lot more to this country's development than farming. Heritage of Industry surveys the development of all this country's major industries, bringing to life a host of industrial and social history including the harsh conditions of the early whaling stations, the glory days of gold mining, the systematic exploitation of native forests, the building of our unique railway systems and the political drama of early coal mining. Plentiful historical and contemporary photos are featured throughout. Included with each chapter are directions to selected industrial sites, many of which are tucked away amidst beautiful scenery. From gold-boom ghost towns to urban railway stations, the Denniston Incline to the Wellington Cable Car, Heritage of Industry conserves the industrial past of New Zealand and celebrates the 'can-do' spirit of early entrepreneurs and workers.