Backbencher

Lecture 5 was titled, "Economic Development: The Sheep's Back and the Global Market." Even though I am most interested in the social and cultural history of Australia and New Zealand, I found this lecture to be interesting. Professor Isern started off the lecture by identifying three shaping influences on the economies of Australia and New Zealand. The first influence is the home market, the second is the realignment of trade relations in the 20th Century, and the third is the tradition of state activism.

Next we progressed into the agricultural history of New Zealand. This ag history of New Zealand is broken down into six time periods. Maori Husbandry lasted until the 1860s. Subsistence Smallholding ranged from the 1840s to 1850s. The Pastoral Eruption occurred in the 1850s through the 1860s. Commercialization spanned from the 1870s to the 1880s. Development was from the 1890s to the 1980s, and the Free Market picked up in the 1980s to now. Next, we talked about early extractive industries of New Zealand. Several agricultural processing industries are prevalent in New Zealand. Two of these are freezing works and cooperative dairies. The five principle extractive industries of New Zealand include whaling, sealing, flax, kauri, and gold. The general princicples of the New Zealand economy is an emphasis on exports and a planned economy. The disadvantages of industry in New Zealand include the country not being rich in raw materials and lack of potent deomstic market. However, there have been some recent economic developments including horticulture, kiwifruit, viticulture, and hydroelectric development.

After discussing the economics of New Zealand, we moved on to Australia. First, we started off by comparing the two nations saying that they are both small and export oriented. There is diversity in Australian agriculture. Near the coast, intensive horticulture and livestock farming persist. Moving inland, mixed farming and extensive pastoralism are prevalent. Just as with New Zealand, Australia's agriculture has went through several stages in history. The first period is known as Recognized Ignorance, next it is Learning, followed by Incautious Optimism, and finally, Informed Adjustment. We learned that pastoralism is of continuing importance. There is a spread of pastoralism across frontier Australia. Winter wheat is of importance to Australia not only because of the climate, but also due to its ease of transport. Australian mining continues in the areas of open pit mining for gold, copper, and coal and also for gemstones. As with New Zealand, Australia is producing for export because of a limited domestic market.

I enjoyed this lecture. What I found most interesting was the fact that winter wheat is important in Australia. I always imagined sheep and cattle as being the main agricultural commodities and not wheat. Another area that I found intriguing was that the economies of Australia and New Zealand will always have a "cloud" hanging over them from their colonizer. I have learned that England and other European nations still exert that affect in areas of Africa that they colonized, and I find it interesting that Australia and New Zealand feel that presence too. My question of inquiry is, "What is meant by the conclusion where it says skipping a generation in technology?"