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The FIRST PINUS RADIATA TREES on the WEST COAST - planted by Ogilvie and company.1950`s
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DescriptionThe FIRST PINUS RADIATA TREES on the WEST COAST. Planted by Ogilvie and company in the late 1950,s and are still standing today.
Pinus Radiata is native to the central coast of California and Mexico. In New Zealand, radiata pine will grow just about anywhere, in anything. The once-barren sand dunes along Ninety Mile Beach
now support a thriving plantation in arguably the world’s least hospitable forest environment. Harsh, salt-laden winds roar in from all directions, with no hills to deflect them. Beneath the stumps, sand provides very meagre rations. Stabilising bare, shifting dunes with a sequence of marram grass, lupins and finally pines over just three to four years has been a noteworthy achievement in a world where desertification devours vast tracts of land each year.
At the other end of the country, in parts of the West Coast, Otago and Southland, radiata grows more slowly in the cooler conditions, but produces timber of outstanding quality. And, of course, there is all that forbidding pumice supporting Kaingaroa—the largest man-made forest in the country. PHOTO. First West Coast Radiata. Date of Photo1950`sMap[1] ContributorTony Kokshoorn
Pinus Radiata is native to the central coast of California and Mexico. In New Zealand, radiata pine will grow just about anywhere, in anything. The once-barren sand dunes along Ninety Mile Beach
now support a thriving plantation in arguably the world’s least hospitable forest environment. Harsh, salt-laden winds roar in from all directions, with no hills to deflect them. Beneath the stumps, sand provides very meagre rations. Stabilising bare, shifting dunes with a sequence of marram grass, lupins and finally pines over just three to four years has been a noteworthy achievement in a world where desertification devours vast tracts of land each year.
At the other end of the country, in parts of the West Coast, Otago and Southland, radiata grows more slowly in the cooler conditions, but produces timber of outstanding quality. And, of course, there is all that forbidding pumice supporting Kaingaroa—the largest man-made forest in the country. PHOTO. First West Coast Radiata. Date of Photo1950`sMap[1] ContributorTony Kokshoorn
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Location (city or town)West CoastOrganisation (eg business)ForestryEventFIRST PINUS RADIATA TREES on the WEST COAST
Category Information
Category TagForestry
From Facebook
Date Created22nd June 2023CommentsJudy Ann Hinde
Helen Clements would this have had anything to do with Graeme’s company?
Jill Kramer
Judy Ann Hinde maybe his family’s business?
Peter Armstrong
I'm not trying to be a killjoy but don't pines look so out of place in our native bush
John Paget
These are not pinus radiata
Glenn Johnston
John Paget The bark looks to be that of P. radiata trees. The leaves that can be seen are not from the radiata but from native regrowth.
Jamie Voidseeker
Glenn Johnston yeah those are epiphytes growing out of the bark, if you look at the ground you can see the needles. hard to tell whether it's radiata from this pic with no close ups of the foliage but it's definitely an introduced pine.
Garyth Bensley
John Paget yes they are, I've seen them
Glenn Johnston
Plantation Pinus radiata were planted much earlier than the 1950's here on the West Coast. Mahinapua Forest near Hokitika had stands of various exotic conifers and other trees. It's P. radiata planting commenced in 1927. Much harvesting has been done at Mahinapua but some old crop trees remain to this day. I suspect that the well known Granville Forest in the Grey valley behind Totara Flat had its first P. radiata planted prior to the 1950's. Remnant trees from one of these stands were still visible last time I drove past. Some individual P radiata trees were planted here on the Coast prior to 1900.
Glenn Johnston
I am not sure if the heading is about the first P. radiata planted by Ogilvie's is still standing or if it is claiming that Ogilvie's planted the first radiata on the Coast. If the latter is the case it is easily proven wrong. Perhaps an edit of the title is in order because just reading the capitalised text gives a misleading impression. See my comments elsewhere in this thread for some info on pre 1950's P.radiata plantings.
Matthew May
Where are these trees?
Entrance to buller gorge if leaving Westport???
Pete Lusk
There’s a stand of Radiata behind Granity. They were planted by Westport Coal Co for pit props, or so I heard.
They’re huge trees now.
As for first Radiata planted on West Coast, I’d say it goes back to 1860s with the gold miners.
Pete Lusk
There’s also some P radiata along the Fairdown Straight near Westport. They were planted by Cawthron Institute in 1950s as a trial.
There only a few trees left.
Kelly McLaughlin
A tree felled by Ivan Wilson at Crushington over twenty years ago had butt ring count of slightly over 100 years I think it was 103. Obviously planted by the early gold miners after arriving from the California rush.
Bill Parlane
The pinus trees planted at the back of the granity bins be planted before 1950
Kevin Oregan
We had many Pinus Radiata around the Landing and various other farms planted well before 1950. Headline is incorrect.
Pat Cooper
There is a macrocarpa up the hill behind Fox River (west coast) that was planted around the 1880s
A grand sight it is too.
Janine Norcliffe
Check out the sequoia .one of the largest trees in the world .
Karl Pehi
Just get rid of them regardless of when they were planted. They don't belong here and are like cane toads in Queensland. Noxious.
Ian Tennent
Those trees were monitored and filmed on 16mm movie. Every three months, recording growth rate, effects of wet feet, damage by deer, blight etc. Bill Ogilvie filmed them and later gave it to the National Film Unit. The forest service was gifted this early information, and made use of it for a number of years.
Tony Kokshoorn
Macrocarpa is more tolerant of wind and salt spray than radiata pine, and was the preferred shelter tree for coastal farms. It has spreading branches with dense foliage, so stock can shelter and remain dry under a macrocarpa hedge. For this reason one or more macrocarpa were often planted near shearing sheds. Macrocarpa Was planted throughout the west Coast since the 1870,s. Pinus Radiata pine was used later for commercial timber and has a 24 to 30 year harvest cycle.
May be an image of tree
Greg Mait
Now, if we hadn't had Pinus Radiata and continued milling Natives What would the landscape look like now . Radiata was the saviour of our native forests . Radiata is a far more uniform building material . I can remember the days of trying to drive a nail through bony heart Rimu dwangs and wedging warped studs. I fully disagree with clearfell harvesting plus one of the main reasons there is a 28 year cycle is for log diameter to suit sawmill machinery The older the tree the better the wood . In my opinion harvest trees are grown with Financial return being the main factor.
Ian Mehrtens
Don't Quote me ,But to my understanding after world war 2 men were give a job planting trees at Mahinapua Forst, This started off as the NZFS by our Government at the time
Helen Clements would this have had anything to do with Graeme’s company?
Jill Kramer
Judy Ann Hinde maybe his family’s business?
Peter Armstrong
I'm not trying to be a killjoy but don't pines look so out of place in our native bush
John Paget
These are not pinus radiata
Glenn Johnston
John Paget The bark looks to be that of P. radiata trees. The leaves that can be seen are not from the radiata but from native regrowth.
Jamie Voidseeker
Glenn Johnston yeah those are epiphytes growing out of the bark, if you look at the ground you can see the needles. hard to tell whether it's radiata from this pic with no close ups of the foliage but it's definitely an introduced pine.
Garyth Bensley
John Paget yes they are, I've seen them
Glenn Johnston
Plantation Pinus radiata were planted much earlier than the 1950's here on the West Coast. Mahinapua Forest near Hokitika had stands of various exotic conifers and other trees. It's P. radiata planting commenced in 1927. Much harvesting has been done at Mahinapua but some old crop trees remain to this day. I suspect that the well known Granville Forest in the Grey valley behind Totara Flat had its first P. radiata planted prior to the 1950's. Remnant trees from one of these stands were still visible last time I drove past. Some individual P radiata trees were planted here on the Coast prior to 1900.
Glenn Johnston
I am not sure if the heading is about the first P. radiata planted by Ogilvie's is still standing or if it is claiming that Ogilvie's planted the first radiata on the Coast. If the latter is the case it is easily proven wrong. Perhaps an edit of the title is in order because just reading the capitalised text gives a misleading impression. See my comments elsewhere in this thread for some info on pre 1950's P.radiata plantings.
Matthew May
Where are these trees?
Entrance to buller gorge if leaving Westport???
Pete Lusk
There’s a stand of Radiata behind Granity. They were planted by Westport Coal Co for pit props, or so I heard.
They’re huge trees now.
As for first Radiata planted on West Coast, I’d say it goes back to 1860s with the gold miners.
Pete Lusk
There’s also some P radiata along the Fairdown Straight near Westport. They were planted by Cawthron Institute in 1950s as a trial.
There only a few trees left.
Kelly McLaughlin
A tree felled by Ivan Wilson at Crushington over twenty years ago had butt ring count of slightly over 100 years I think it was 103. Obviously planted by the early gold miners after arriving from the California rush.
Bill Parlane
The pinus trees planted at the back of the granity bins be planted before 1950
Kevin Oregan
We had many Pinus Radiata around the Landing and various other farms planted well before 1950. Headline is incorrect.
Pat Cooper
There is a macrocarpa up the hill behind Fox River (west coast) that was planted around the 1880s
A grand sight it is too.
Janine Norcliffe
Check out the sequoia .one of the largest trees in the world .
Karl Pehi
Just get rid of them regardless of when they were planted. They don't belong here and are like cane toads in Queensland. Noxious.
Ian Tennent
Those trees were monitored and filmed on 16mm movie. Every three months, recording growth rate, effects of wet feet, damage by deer, blight etc. Bill Ogilvie filmed them and later gave it to the National Film Unit. The forest service was gifted this early information, and made use of it for a number of years.
Tony Kokshoorn
Macrocarpa is more tolerant of wind and salt spray than radiata pine, and was the preferred shelter tree for coastal farms. It has spreading branches with dense foliage, so stock can shelter and remain dry under a macrocarpa hedge. For this reason one or more macrocarpa were often planted near shearing sheds. Macrocarpa Was planted throughout the west Coast since the 1870,s. Pinus Radiata pine was used later for commercial timber and has a 24 to 30 year harvest cycle.
May be an image of tree
Greg Mait
Now, if we hadn't had Pinus Radiata and continued milling Natives What would the landscape look like now . Radiata was the saviour of our native forests . Radiata is a far more uniform building material . I can remember the days of trying to drive a nail through bony heart Rimu dwangs and wedging warped studs. I fully disagree with clearfell harvesting plus one of the main reasons there is a 28 year cycle is for log diameter to suit sawmill machinery The older the tree the better the wood . In my opinion harvest trees are grown with Financial return being the main factor.
Ian Mehrtens
Don't Quote me ,But to my understanding after world war 2 men were give a job planting trees at Mahinapua Forst, This started off as the NZFS by our Government at the time
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West Coast New Zealand History (25th Jun 2023). The FIRST PINUS RADIATA TREES on the WEST COAST - planted by Ogilvie and company.1950`s. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 31st Mar 2026 14:37, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/32430