Hogan Prints To Be Reproduced

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31211, 8 November 1966, Page 12

Hogan Prints To Be Reproduced

"The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND, November 7. Thanks to the enterprise of a young Christchurch man, New Zealanders will soon be able to hang on their walls reproductions of prints in the Governor - General’s collection at Government

House, Auckland. Six months ago, Mr D. Ellis, with successful editions of a Cook chart and three Canterbury scenes by the pioneer artist, W. H. Holmes, behind him, approached the Governor-General (Sir Bernard Fergusson) for permission to reproduce four prints by P. J. Hogan. Permission was given and Mr Ellis found in Hastings a printer who could do justice to the soft, smudgy colours of the originals. Then he began his research on Hogan. The art galleries had little information, although some owned black-and-white prints. Next he approached the Turnbull Library, Wellington, and the pictorial research officer, Mr A. Murray-Oliver, brought to light fresh facts and produced new leads. Other information came from the Auckland Public Library, the Survey Office, the Archives Office, and finally from the Mitchell Library, Sydney. By now Mr Ellis has a sizeable dossier on Patrick Joseph Hogan. Having “lived” with Hogan for six months he now feels he knows him personally. “He came to New Zealand in 1849 in the Oriental Queen,” said Mr Ellis. “He was a sapper in the Fencibles —the men that Grey brought out to defend the Auckland isthmus from possible attacks from the Ngapuhi. “Hogan arrived with his wife, Martha, and five children and took up land at Onehunga—an acre on the northwest corner of Arthur and Victoria streets—and, as was

usual with the Fencibles, he was offered other employment by the Colonial Government to augment his pension, which was probably not more than 8d a day. “With some knowledge of painting and draughting behind him, probably gained in Dublin, where he was born, Hogan was appointed to the Auckland Survey Office as surveyor at £l5O a year and, as well, he directed the arts school at the Mechanics’ Institute and taught art privately.” In 1958 Hogan moved to Sydney and Mr Ellis is inclined to think it was for two reasons: the Taranaki wars were looming and Hogan may have been called up for ser-

vice, and in that year he had applied for, and was refused, a raise in salary. Hogan left New Zealand for good, but found similar employment in the New South Wales Government and was a draughtsman until his death in 1878 at the age of 73. The four prints—all of Auckland were originally published in England in 1852 and Mr Ellis knows of only two sets extant. One is the Nan Kivell collection, Canberra, and the other is the Governor-General’s. In the issue of the “New Zealand Herald” of December 24, 1884, they were reproduced in black-and-white. The description of them listed the establishments in Shortland

Crescent (now Shortland street), referring particularly to the kitchen gardens on the right of the picture, which supplied the troops with vegetables, and to the detachment of the 58th marching down what is now Princes street. The first set of prints will be given to the Governor-Gen-eral and the second to the City of Auckland. Above: A picture of early Auckland, drawn by Hogan in 1852 and lithographed in London. From near the foot of Queen street, it shows the first St. Paul’s Church on the skyline.