Illustrated History of the West Coast2005

Most New Zealanders know it simply as 'the Coast', and its fiercely parochial inhabitants are 'Coasters'. The South Island's West Coast has a particularly colourful history, and the special character persists to the present day. In words and photographs this lavishly illustrated book traced the story of the Coast from its geological origins through Maori settlement, European exploration by Charles Heaphy, Thomas Brunner and others, the goldrushes, the coal industry and the emergence of railways, the rise of unionism, the effects of war and depression, the changing fortunes of forestry and the growth of conversation and tourism.