Author: Richard Wolfe
Format: Hardcover
Publication date: 8 October 2026
220 pages

Although New Zealand was the last sizeable habitable landmass to be settled by humans … the impact on its native forest has been little short of dramatic. Cultural and art historian Richard Wolfe profiles the devastation of native forests in a striking visual history through art, from the nineteenth century to today.

The Passing of the Forest explores how large areas of forests were burned by Maori, and then European settlers – lured to New Zealand by the promise of an inexhaustible supply of timber. It draws parallels with the colonisation of Australia, showing how deforestation has impacted on leading artists and thinkers, and explores ways forward to replace what has been lost.

Featuring more than 50 colour reproductions from New Zealand and Australian artists, this book is a timely exploration of environmental loss and the human impact on New Zealand’s forests.