Abstract
Current literature offers limited frameworks to analyse the material emergence and historical transformation of camping systems. This article addresses this gap by introducing the 'camp assemblage' model. Conceptualising the camp as an assemblage of four core components (space, humans, equipment, and techniques), the model provides a methodology for understanding how camping systems evolve. We apply it to trace the spatio-historical development of New Zealand's Commercial Holiday Camp (CHC) industry through a spatial narrative built on a Historical Geographical Information System (HGIS) dataset of over 6,000 georeferenced records (1840s-2010s). Findings reveal the CHC was assembled from the material and technical components of earlier colonial, military, and work camps. This process was catalysed by the mass adoption of the automobile, which stabilised the CHC assemblage and facilitated the growth of a national network. We argue that this network functions as a socio-spatial technology enabling 'exceptional mobility', managing the seasonal flow of New Zealand's urban population across its rural landscapes. Ultimately, this paper offers a robust materialist framework for researching temporary settlement and provides the first comprehensive spatial narrative of New Zealand's camping industry.