254 
The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. 
[Nov. 
THE STATUS OF AREAL GEOLOGICAL MAPPING IN 
NEW ZEALAND. 
By P. G. Morgan. 
The first noteworthy geological maps of any portion of New Zealand were 
those prepared by F. von Hochstetter and Julius von Haast over sixty 
years ago. One of these maps (north-western part of South Island) was 
published in 1861 with von Haast’s Report of a Topographical 'and Geolo¬ 
gical Exploration of the Western Districts of the Nelson Province. Hoch- 
stetter and Petermann’s Geological and Topographical Atlas of New Zealand , 
published soon after (German edition, Gotha, 1863 ; New Zealand edition, 
Auckland, 1864: see also Report of “ Novara ” Expedition—Geology ), contains 
a small-scale map of part of Auckland Province, larger-scale maps of Auck¬ 
land Isthmus, of the Kawhia-Raglan district, and of the neighbourhood of 
Lake Rotomahana, together with the above-mentioned map of the Nelson 
Province. 
Soon after Hochstetter’s visit to New Zealand several of the Provincial 
Governments* (which at that time had considerable powers independently 
of the main Government and Legislature) instituted geological surveys. 
The early provincial geologists were Mr. J. C. Crawford (Wellington), Dr. 
Julius von Haast (Canterbury), and Dr. James Hector (Otago). Mr. A. D. 
Triphook possibly held a similar position in Hawke’s Bay, but no official 
record of his work has been found by the writer. During the “ seventies ” 
Captain F. W. Hutton was Provincial Geologist in Otago for two or three 
years. The only notable maps published by the provincial geologists were 
Hutton’s map of Otago (1875), and von Haast’s map of Canterbury and 
Westland (1879), both on a very small scale. 
Much of the work done by the provincial surveys was incorporated in 
maps published by the Geological Survey of New Zealand, which began 
its existence in 1865 with Dr. (Sir) James Hector as Director. In 1869 
and again in 1873 Hector published sketch geological maps of New Zealand 
on scales which, as measured on actual examples of the maps, were approxi¬ 
mately 1 : 2,319,000 and 1 : 2,015,000, or 36-6 and 31-8 miles respectively 
to the inch.'j* In 1884 and again in 1886 Hector published a geological 
map of New Zealand on a still smaller scale than those of 1869 and 1873. 
It is not necessary here to do more than mention the small-scale maps 
published by Professor James Park in 1910 and Dr. P. Marshall in 1912. 
During the period 1865 to 1894 the Geological Survey published with 
the reports of its various officers a great number of sketch-maps varying 
indefinitely in scale, detail, and quality. In those comparatively early 
days few topographical maps even of moderately good quality were avail¬ 
able, and much of the country was covered by forest, while present-day 
* The Provincial Governments, and with them the “ provinces ” or “ provincial 
districts,” were abolished in 1877. Though they no longer represent political divisions, 
the names of the old provincial districts are still commonly used. 
f The 1873 map professes to be on the scale of 1:2,000,000, erroneously stated to 
be equivalent to 33'31 miles to the inch. 
