Book Author Richard Wolfe
Rights Available World excl. ANZ
‘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 Māori, and then European setters — lured to New Zealand by the promise of an inexhaustible supply of timber. It draws parallels with colonisation elsewhere, 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 the Earth’s forests.
About the Author
Richard Wolfe has written or co-authored some 40 books that document aspects of New Zealand’s art, history, and popular culture, including Footprints on the Land (Oratia Books, 2022) and Kiwi: A Curious Case of National Identity (2024). Richard has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Elam School of Fine Arts and a PhD in Art History from the University of Auckland, and worked for many years as a display artist and curator at the Canterbury Museum and the Auckland War Memorial Museum. He lives with his artist wife Pamela in Ponsonby, Auckland.
Publisher
Oratia Books
Extent
216 pp, colour
Format
280 x 210 mm portrait
Binding
Paperback
Category
Non-Fiction
Genre
Illustrated non-fiction; Art
Publication Date
8 October 2026
Rights Available:
World excl. ANZ
Rights Agents:
World
Peter Dowling, Oratia Books
peter@oratia.co.nz
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