Rural sociology in New Zealand has been associated with some of New Zealand’s most famous early social analysis: Somerset’s Littledene and Doig’s survey of dairy farmers. These exemplify its uncertain and changing relationship with government policy and funding. Over the years rural sociology has been funded from a variety of sources, sometimes unexpected, sometimes generously. Its peak moments have been related to both important developments in rural life, such as the 1930s Depression, or the reconfiguration of farming that took place after the restructuring instigated by the Fourth labour Government in the 1980s. Linkages with both overseas sociologists and those within other disciplines with common agendas are crucial to sociological analysis of rural trends.