EARLY NEW ZEALAND

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 32, 6 August 1936, Page 11

EARLY NEW ZEALAND

VALUABLE SKETCHES

MUSEUM COLLECTION

— v A particularly valuable acquisition by the new Dominion Museum is a set oil 80 illustrations depicting scenes famous in the history of New Zealand and portraying men, Maori and pakeha, who played; a prominent, part in the development of the country. The illustrations', which were presented to the i»useum by the Wellington Harbour Board, have been arranged along .one wall in one of the main galleries. The task of selecting and preparing the pictures for exhibition was entrusted to Mr. J. M. J ohnston, a . foremost authority on New Zealand history!

One of the new outstanding pictures in the set dealing with' Wellington is a reproduction of James Wallace's water-colour of one of the first reclamations ii* the city. Work was carried, out on Thorndon Quay at Belsise Point, and the present Lambton Railway Station is q» part of the reclamation. Belsise Pftfnt is where Captain Chaffers, hoisted the British flag about 1840. According to early newspapers, the first stocks were erected in 1841 on the land in front of what is now the tramway offices at Lambton. In 1845 the stocks were removed to Mulgrave Street on the site of the Thorndon Fire Brigade Station. The painting was presented to Mr. A. Turnbull in 1912 by Mr.. Noel Barraud. There has been a lot of controversy about the first reclamation work carried out in Wellington, but this is the only authentic and properlydated sketch of early work. . Pipitea Point was not reclaimed until about 1880. Old residents of Wellington: will remember the Pipitea Baths, which were partly destroyed by a tidal wave in 1877. To reach the baths.one had to cross over the train rails (the station was then at Pipitea Point) and then over a narrow plank bridge'thirtyfeet long. EARLY MIRAMAR. Another fine historical sketch is a view of Miramar and the surrounding district in 1841. Burnham water, after it was given an outlet into Evans Bay; through a tunnel, can be seen. '■■■ Two men,. Crawford and Luxford, constructed the outlet through the-hill (how; Burnham Street), the former finding the money1 and Luxforii , the labour. After the water was drained away the old Wellington Racing Club formed a race track on the reclaimed land in 1850, and races were held fairly regularly there until 1859. A race meeting was held .on the day of the.big earthquake in 1855. This earthquake;raised the land about five feet in the vicinity, of Wellington Harbour,' and caused' a crack six feet wide in Willis Street. A. . bridge was placed across this gap, and it was known as London Bridge, because it was constructed by the late Mr. G. T. London, one-time Mayor of ' Petone! The earthquake also raised Miramar, and this helped to completely drain what today is Miramar Flat. Two large- potholes', near. Burnham water, shown'lin Wakefield's bird's-eya view of Wellington and its environs 'are missing, in .Captain Mem Smith's sketch, which is in the museum. However, it is a-splendid sketch, and as the water spaces are coloured it gives one an idea of the. land as it was in the early days of last century. REBUILDING A CHURCH; Another interesting picture is of the old Wesleyan Chapel in Manners Street* which was destroyed by the earthquake in 1848." A copy of this sketch, was presented to those who made a collection for the purpose of • rebuilding the church. Copies were issued in London in 1852, by the Church Missionary Society, and as far as is" known the original in the: Turnbull Library, from which ..the ; reproduction in tha museum wa's made, is the only one in Wellington. This is not to be confused witfy Brees's sketch of the church.: A valuable sketch shows a detachment of British troops marching seven' abreast down Hawkestone Street' iri 1846. Mr. Brees's cottage arid the old Thistle "Inn can be seen. Included in the group of illustrations isa fine picture of Captain Cook; in colours. It was executed by Dance, a personal friend of Cook's. Dr.'W.R. B. Oliver, director of the museum, and Mr. Johnston examined over thirty; pictures of^.Cook! before deciding on the present portrait. The attack of: Kororereka (Russell)! by : Hone Heke the. night -before the sacking; of the town and the chopping down, of the British flag ;is depicted in' another sketch. The ships; lying-at anchor in the harbour are'named, and the view shows the lay-out of the town and forts. Two views of early Wellington are worth more than a passing glance. One* gives a good idea of how wide Lambton Quay was in 1843, and the other shows the great area of swampy land which is now. Courtenay Place. In those days the tide used tojsweep up to where the tramlines are today. Included in a series of Maori pictures is a sketch of the Native boundary, line at Bell Block. The Maori image in the sketch was 70ft high, and it was meant |to-represent a Native dancing over the head of a European. The totem pole eventually fell down, and it was destroyed by vandals'. Three of Wellington's Maori chiefs in the 40's are shown clad in their ! colourful garments. One of j them, Rangihaeta, has a bunch of feathers jas an ear ornament, and.Te. Puni has a robe decorated with- dogs' tails and heads. There are dozens of other sketches all equally interesting, and apart from I their general appeal they should prove a valuable educational medium; While a large number deal with the Wellington district, reproductions *f scenes and events in most of the main centres in the Dominion have their place in the | gallery. | It was largely due to the great interest of Mr. A. G. Barnett, manager of the Wellington Harbour -Board, that I the pictures were presented' to tha ■ museum. . ,