The oldest known photograph of Seventy Mile Bush showing Eketahuna, a few kilometres north of Mount Bruce. Eketahuna was a two-day ride from Masterton when James Bragge took this photograph in 1875, two years after the first Scandinavian settlers arrived.

The “Pukaha” (Maori name for the area) Mount Bruce forest was once part of a much greater forest, stretching from Masterton to Norsewood, called the Seventy-Mile Bush (and often as the 40 Mile Bush). The maori name for this forest was Te Tapere Nui o Whatonga. This forest was a huge green cloak with many species of trees including towering rimu, totara, northern rata as well as many ferns, shrubs, climbers and herbs, all living under the mantle of Tane – Atua of the forest.