In 1898 James Duncan began a nursery in New Plymouth growing a number of trees and shrubs. In 1901 he was joined by Victor Davies, who was later taken on as a partner in the firm Duncan and Davies Ltd. Duncan and Davies operated as a wholesale business through local garden centres, by mail order catalogue and later as an export trader. The firm became synonymous with gardening in New Zealand and were well known for their vast range of high quality plants.
In 2011 a large selection of Duncan and Davies mail order and export catalogues were donated to the Puke Ariki Heritage Collection. These had been used by Alan Jellyman while researching his 2011 publication The growing world of Duncan and Davies: a horticultural history 1899-2010.
The catalogues capture many of the activities in the nursery trade from 1916 to 2004. Specifically they contain information on gardening trends and details of new plant specimens as they were introduced into the market. The catalogues also document the development of the company as its ownership and activities changed. They provide a snapshot of social history on a local and national level as printing continued through two world wars, various economic conditions and the emergence of new technologies.
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