Leonard Cockayne's surveys of New Zealand's offshore islands, 1901–1908

Abstract

This article examines a series of extended botanical surveys conducted by the botanist Leonard Cockayne on several of New Zealand's main offshore islands between 1901 and 1908 and considers their implications for the country's ecological and conservation history. Three dominant features arising from the surveys are discussed: (i) Cockayne's examination of the ecology of the islands visited and his identification of biogeographical connections between island, mainland and more distant ecosystems; (ii) his conspicuous reference to German‐language specialist literature; and (iii) his criticism of environmental damage on these offshore islands and his recommendations for their future conservation.