New Zealand Beekeeping HistoryMarketing, people and beekeeping politics…

This is the start of a history of the NZ beekeeping industry, with strands of interest in the National Beekeepers' Association, honey marketing structures and other factors that brought the industry to where it is today.

It is also the portal to the NZ Beekeeping Digital Archive.

More recent history? See NZ's first bkpg website as it was at the end of 2000, the first year of a varroa incursion.

And the NBA site from about a year later, the end of 2001.

1915

While the NBA did not take up Major Norton’s offer, the NZ Co-op Honey Producers’ Association did. Possible returns of 5d per pound, £46 per ton, were talked of. The HPA agreed to increase authorised capital to £3000 and accept other shareholders, enabling it to enter into the contract with the Bristol and Dominion Producers’ […]

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1914

The Hon R Heaton Rhodes placed at the value of the honey production for the Dominion just over £50,000 when he formally opened the 1914 Conference. The conference was held in the Esperanto Hall, Wellington, on 17 June. Mr James Allan (Wyndham) was re-elected President of the National Beekeepers’ Association of New Zealand. Mr JS […]

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1913

Mr Isaac Hopkins finally left the Department of Agriculture, having effectively resigned four years previously. Approximately 40 cadets passed through the apiary during that time, mostly young women. Miss D Hart, previously in charge of the Waerenga apiary was given charge of the apiary at Ruakura. Total exports for the 1912-1913 season were 586 hundredweight, […]

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1911

Early in 1911 came the first systematic effort to export surplus honey, made by the Taranaki, Canterbury and Waikato Beekeepers’ Associations. One of the immediate effects was an increase in the local price.

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1910

In 1909-1910 Canterbury had a record season with average return being nearly 200 pounds per hive. Much was sold at 3d per pound and lower.

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1909

Mr Isaac Hopkins left the Department of Agriculture in June 1909, but was asked to stay on to continue to do his work.

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1908

Mr WB Bray was appointed to the position of inspector under the Act for the whole of the South Island in January 1908.  There is a widely-told story with the industry that he was issued with a bicycle and a rail pass to carry out his travels.  A contemporary photo makes it more likely it […]

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1907

While there were few fully commercial apiarists in New Zealand, one unnamed beekeeper did produce a crop of 32 tons in 1907, according to Mr R Gibb when opening the 1930 NBA Conference. Mr I Hopkins persuaded the Minister to introduce a new Apiaries Act in 1907 to replace the 1906 Act which had been […]

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1906

The first honey house at the Ruakura Farm of Instruction was built in 1906 at a cost of £45. Miss Lena Livesay, assistant to Mr I Hopkins, commenced duties as manageress of the Ruakura apiary in January. Mr Seddon decided to foster small holdings production in 1906 with the passing of the first Apiaries Act. […]

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1905

In June, Mr Isaac Hopkins, recently appointed apiarist to the Department of Agriculture, established an apiary at the Ruakura Farm of Instruction, near Hamilton. Though there had been some hives there in 1904 and in 1905 in both instances they had been destroyed by foulbrood.

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