Mirror for New Zealanders: A Descriptive Atlas Reviewed

Summary

The editors review A. H. McLintock’s A Descriptive Atlas of New Zealand, published in November 1959 after a project first proposed for the 1940 centennial, subsequently prepared by the Historical Branch, and supported by an advisory committee established in 1954. They praise its production, cartographic workmanship and aerial photographs, highlighting the pre-European vegetation map’s synthesis of a decade of research, the detailed land-classification map, and useful soils and land-use commentary. They nevertheless find it inadequate as a national atlas or university reference, judging it best suited to households and offices. Full binding obstructs map reading and revision; map scales, symbols and layouts are inconsistent; some information is outdated, overgeneralized or geographically incomplete. The text varies in usefulness and accessibility, while landscape descriptions suffer from excessive condensation and unclear expression. The photographs also leave gaps in national coverage. Despite the first edition selling out and planned distribution to schools, the editors call for a clearer purpose, extensive rewriting, loose-leaf maps with explanatory texts, and comprehensive coverage of New Zealand’s life and economy, including historical research already undertaken.