NEW ZEALAND –
“Links in the Chain: Field Surveying in New Zealand” is a 1975 book by A.H. Bogle (published by the N.Z. Institute of Surveyors) that chronicles the experiences, challenges, and, often, the lighter side of life for surveyors mapping New Zealand’s rugged terrain. It offers personal insights into the pioneering work that established New Zealand’s land boundaries.
- Archibald Hugh Bogle (1883–1972): A notable New Zealand surveyor whose career included extensive fieldwork and later, membership on the Survey Board of NZ.
- Content: The book covers, among other topics, the “Bush Legion,”, encounters with Māori communities, and the technical challenges of traversing the land.
- The “Chain” Itself: The title refers to the 66-foot (20-meter) Gunter’s chain composed of 100 links, which was a standard tool for measuring distance, enabling colonial land surveys.
- Surveying Conditions: Surveyors often worked in challenging, remote conditions, camping for long periods to “cut up” land for settlement, mapping terrain, and marking boundaries.
- Legacy: Bogle’s work highlights both the technical and human side of New Zealand’s early surveying history, capturing the stories of the people involved.
The book is recognized as a valuable historical account of the surveying profession in New Zealand.
Contents: The Bush Legion — Maori and Surveyor — East Coast Revelry — Men of Maraetaua — Field’s Track to Awarua — Of Birds and Beasts — On the Retaruke — Examination Fever — The Water Highway — Wanganui Encounters — Land Court Logic — River Traverse — Railway Men and Manners — “Tongariro is the mountain” — Taupo Days — “Haere ra!”
86 pages : illustrations, map (on lining papers), portraits ; 29 cm First Edition. #280326