Historical perspectives on NZ Department of Conservation huts and tracks

by Sam Demas

(Note: this is part of the larger work New Zealand Huts: Notes towards a Country Study)

New Zealand huts history: one cannot grasp the meaning, extent, challenges and opportunities of huts in NZ without a bit of historical perspective.  Huts and tracks everywhere reflect the culture and terrain of the nations in which they evolved; this is vibrantly evident in New Zealand.  The piece provides historical perspectives on the DoC hut system only, and does not treat the broader scope of other (i.e. non-DoC) huts and tracks in New Zealand, e.g. privately owned huts.

What follows is a small historical sketch providing context for the other posts on NZ huts.  At the end of this post is a list of books for readers who want more than a cursory introduction to the historical context of huts in NZ.

The focus here is on the contemporary history of how the NZ Department of Conservation (DoC) — established in 1987 — came to inherit the world’s largest and best organized hut system, and how it forged the disparate parts into a coherent, government-operated system of about 962 huts.  A few key events in DoC history between 1987 – 2010 highlight how this transformation took place.  During this period about 100 new huts were built, most to replace existing structures in poor condition. Continue reading →