In the foundational era of soil science in Aotearoa-New Zealand (AoNZ) many of the scientists operating in the area of pedology and soil survey had backgrounds in the earth sciences. Norman Taylor started his career at DSIR as an assistant geologist and Les Grange, whom he succeeded as director of Soil Bureau similarly had a geology training. The earth sciences are key to deciphering the soil pattern, but equally, knowledge of soils feeds back strongly to understanding earth surface history and processes. Soil scientists’ forays into the earth sciences commonly consider the stratigraphy, sedimentology and age of surface materials, which have relevance for soil parent materials and soil age. The materials include loess, tephra, alluvial, glacial or periglacial coverbeds. Aside from having the obvious relevance to understanding soil pattern, outcomes of the research extend into Earth’s climate history, tempo and rate of earth surface change and natural hazards. In the 1973 special issue of the NZ Journal of Geology and Geophysics dedicated to the IXth Congress of the International Union of Quaternary Science, 19 out of 37 papers were offered by soil scientists employed by DSIR Soil Bureau. Of the three Universities with specialised soil science groups in Aotearoa-New Zealand, two of them, at Massey and Waikato Universities, until recent times existed within Earth Science departments. It is my contention that the interdisciplinarity is waning in AoNZ universities and CRIs, yet soil science has much to offer. In my address I aim to demonstrate the contribution soil science makes to the broader earth sciences from my own experience and make the case for soil scientists and their managers to foster the link for the betterment of both disciplines.