SURVEY FINDINGS OF GALATEA BASIN NOW IN BOOK FORM

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 56, 28 October 1949, Page 5

SURVEY FINDINGS OF GALATEA BASIN NOW IN BOOK FORM

Early in 1948 a party of university students visited Galatea and spent a considerable time in a geographical survey of the district and mapping out land use field by field. As a result of this survey a booklet has now been published entitled “The Galatea Basin; a geographic reconnaissance.” This is reprinted from the New Zealand Geographer, April, 1949, and presents an interesting study of Galatea as a whole. It covers the history of Galatea from its early days to the present time. Rainfall, land utilisation, soil structure, and so on are all covered and there are sketches, and photographs to illustrate the text. There is one slight error in it, however, though at the time the statistics were taken it was true. It says there are two tractors on the Galatea estate, but to gain an adequate return on capital outlay their owners are compelled to hire them out to neighbours on special occasions.” This is far fifo-m at the present time when at least 75 per cent of the farms have their own tractor.

However, this is the only obvious error and for the rest it seems to give a very good and fair survey of the whole area.