Transport innovation and areal association in the Manawatu dairy industry : the role of transport from before 1880 to the present day and the impact of innovation in the areal association between supplier and factory and between factory and factory : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Geography at Massey University

Abstract

For the New Zealand dairy industry, "the principal - one might say the only important disadvantage - was the obstacle of distance...." (Philpott, 1937:11) Although concerned here with the difficulties of overseas transport, (he suggested that time and invention had largely overcome the obstacles of distance) the comment is equally applicable to the difficulties of internal transport. Transport is an important element in dairying but appears to have attracted little attention from researchers. A review of the history of dairying reveals a series of development phases, each of which appears related to transport developments. The first part of this thesis, then, is an historical review of the period from before 1880 to the present day with particular emphasis upon transport methods and innovations. Emphasis has been given, however, to developments at tho factory rather than the farm level. From a consideration of these historical developments, it becomes increasingly evident that each phase has been associated with distinctive patterns of land use and the development of specialised dairying "regions".