The Gumdiggers: The Story of Kauri Gum

by Alfred Hamish Reed

193 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Sir Alfred Hamish Reed (1875 – 1975), generally known as A.H. Reed, was a New Zealand publisher, author and entrepreneur.

He was the uncle of fellow author Alexander Wyclif Reed, with whom he founded a publishing company.

Reviews

[Kirsten McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating account of the gum digging industry in New Zealand in the late 1800s. I had no idea the value of the gum industry in NZ, which far surpassed that of the gold industry at the time.
I read the book as a bit of background research for my next historical fiction novel, and this book was a literal 'goldmine' of information about the landscape, the clothing, the tools, the camaraderie and the food of the time.
It's even more interesting once you realise that the author was the founder of Reed Publishing (NZ) Ltd (originally A. H. Reed Ltd and publishing under the imprint A. H. and A. W. Reed) - one of New Zealand's oldest publishers, founded in 1907 by the author A.H. Reed.
Happy to recommend this book to other historical fiction authors or people interested in New Zealand's history.