“LAKE BRUNNER A MATCHLESS SPOT”— IMPRESSIONS OF WEST COAST GIVEN IN AMERICAN MAGAZINE

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 September 1949, Page 2

“LAKE BRUNNER A MATCHLESS SPOT”— IMPRESSIONS OF WEST COAST GIVEN IN AMERICAN MAGAZINE

An American woman who, with her husband, has become well known to many New Zealanders, is Mrs Grace E. Barstow. Murphy, wife of Dr Robert Cushman Murphy, chairman of the department of birds at the Museum of Natural History, New York. Dr and Mrs Murphy spent some time in New Zealand earlier this year, when they made an expedition to Lake Brunner. An account of this visit has appeared in the museum’s magazine, Natural History,, written by Mrs Murphy. It is interesting to read of her recorded impressions of the West Coast of New Zealand. “It seemed to me that the whole museum would be needed to suggest adequately how New Zealand looks and what lives and grows there,” Mrs Murphy writes. “There is magic in the skilVthat can create a representative exhibit out of such quantities of material. Somehow Bob Murphy (her husband) took it home in camera and packing boxes, notes and paints. From now on, we will have New land in New York. Will the hoi des who look realise the Chinese puzzle confronting the expert who collected, planned and evolved such an exhibit —the stun in artistic form and in scientific detail of our lake, our bush, the mountain range we loved at sight?’ Primitive Country The exhibit Mrs Murphy refers to is that for the Whitney Memorial Hall of Pacific bird life, and is to show a representative scene of what New Zealand looked like before it was inhabited by the white man. For this reason the party went to Pyramid Valley to dig up the remains of moas so that one of these birds could appear in the scene. Although the party did not stint its praise in the help given to it by the New Zealand Government, Mrs Murphy makes the note that the museum was allowed to collect one tui, one pigeon and so on. This, she said, was because the Government and others realised that New Zealand was in danger of losing its native birds and it was taking every means to preserve what few were left. The lite of each was important. “Rain fell heavily, but it did not. stop our reconnoitering,” the writer continues. “It was a matchless spot. Everything we wanted seemed to grow here at its best; except red ferns and fuchsia blossom. I had set my heart on both of these for our exhibit. On the western sea coast 25 miles away red ferns had enchanted me. I was bound to bring all of you red

ferns. I hunted everywhere in vain, feeling that as long as such remarkables existed, our museum should tell our part of the world about them. We could not put one in the exhibit unless we found it in the section of the country we were bringing home. And all of us were hunting for fuchsia; blossom.” Mrs Murphy goes oh to tell how eventually one of the party found a branch with one belated blossom on it, and later she herself discovered the fern. z Section Transplanted Mrs Murphy describes how work was set out for each member to do. Whole pieces of ground, wood, plants, branches and even stones were taken half way round the world. Paintings were made of different scenes, leaves, blossom, still and moving pictures were taken and specimens of birds were carefully taken for stuffing. Even blue toadstools and old brown fronds of ferns were taken so that a complete picture could be given. No mistakes could be made or anything left out, as the museum could not send its men half way round the world if things were not right the first time. In the article, which covers several pages, are numerous photographs of the Lake Brunner scenery. Through such efforts the beauty of this district is becoming known throughout the world.