A tree older than a nation's history

At the Kauri Museum in Matakohe, kauri time became visible. This tree began growing around 1100. Māori arrived in Aotearoa, Tasman sighted New Zealand and the Treaty of Waitangi was signed—each event occupying only a narrow band within its rings.

From the nineteenth century, kauri timber and gum sustained many northern settlements. Trees were felled and moved along rivers and harbours to become homes, vessels and furniture. The machinery is impressive, yet the great cross-section leaves a harder thought behind: a tree may take close to a millennium to grow and only a day to bring down. This one was felled in 1960.