Forestry Memories

Mary Sutherland Graduate Forester 1916

This memorial to Mary Sutherland the first woman graduate forester is located amongst the Sequoia trees in Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest close to Rotorua, New Zealand. Mary, a daughter of David Sutherland who owned Bridge House in Torphins, Aberdeenshire, graduated from University College of North Wales (now Bangor University). She worked for a short period during the war for Sir John Stirling Maxwell and is recorded in his book on afforestation activities around Loch Ossian, part of Corrour Estate.

Vivien Edwards from an area north of Rotorua has carried out a long period of extensive research into and is in the process of publishing a book on the life and achievements of Mary Sutherland. The publisher is Wrights Hill Press, Wellington. (Publishing is thanks to the Stout Trust and assistance from the NZ Institute of Forestry). A brief summary from Vivien indicates that after working for Sir John Stirling Maxwell, Mary was employed by the Interim Forest Authority, then the British Forestry Commission but lost her position while working there due to the severe financial cuts following the Geddes report recommendations in 1920/21. Mary then moved to New Zealand in 1923 where her sister and brother-in-law were already located and joined the State Forest Service there. Ten years later she again lost her job following severe financial cuts following the outcomes of the 1932 National Economic Commission. She then worked at the Dominion Museum, (which later became the National Museum). Mary worked initially as librarian and botanical assistant and when the botanist left, she took over as botanist. Following on from National war service as supervisor of the Women War Workers' Hostel in Woburn, Wellington, Mary was appointed as the Department of Agriculture's first farm forestry officer. Besides loss of tree cover, erosion etc, farms had became run down through lack of maintenance during WW2 and Mary was no doubt advising on appropriate tree planting species and designs to ameliorate the severe visual and climatic effects of whole sale clearance of tree cover on the farms.

Indeed a pioneer in many ways Mary did return to Scotland in 1952 for a grand tour of the north and west as well as some of her work locations. This was part of a year-long absence from the Department of Agriculture. In addition to visiting many areas in Scotland including Corrour, she also returned to Bangor, and when visiting a niece in Montreal, she journeyed right across Canada, stopping off to visit experimental farms, forests and tree nurseries.

Apparently Mary’s forestry career was not an easy and straightforward one and she encountered many difficulties and prejudices not least in that as well as being a woman she was university trained and had entered a work role where many of her colleagues had worked their way up from the basic supervisor level over a great many years. However, she is remembered as having earned a great deal of respect.


The book is now available in the UK from Summerfield Books see - https://www.summerfieldbooks.com/product/a-path-through-the-trees-mary-sutherland-forester-botanist-womens-advocate/

The attached PDF below is of an image of the Vivien Edwards, the author, and Norman Davidson, Huntly, Aberdeenshire beside the memorial on a visit to Rotorua in Feb 2020. The surrounding forest is a plantation of coastal redwoods or Sequoias of American origin planted around 1910. Also on the PDF is an image of the very distinctive family grave stone in Torphins Cemetary, Aberdeenshire, dedicated to Mary her father, mother and Mary's four sisters.

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Groups: Forester Training Schools and Universities

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