NEW ZEALAND’S EARLY ARTISTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20607, 22 December 1936, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND’S EARLY ARTISTS

DRAWINGS NEAR ALBURY (Specially written for “The Timaru Herald” by J. R. Irvine Near Albury, some six miles to the west of the township, there is, on a former lime works site, one of the camping places of the early artists of New Zealand that bears the marks of the centuries. These people have received various names, such as Moriores, aboriginals and moa hunters, but probably the most fitting would be “Early Artists.” Whether they domesticated the moa or merely hunted the giant bird, has always been a question for argument, but one matter that requires no guess work is that they were, in their own way, artists. On the rocks at Albury, they have left their work in the shape of indelible drawings. If you stand on the site the lime works once occupied, and cast your eye along the rugged limestone cliffs, which extend for almost a mile, you can picture in fancy how the rocks appeared away back in the dim past with the strange natives in occupation. Just up from the site of the works, is a small cave, the walls of which are decorated with drawings, chiefly done in a grotesque form. A large rock that at one time stood out in the open at the foot of the cliff, was, before it was blown-up, literally covered with drawings.

By proceeding further along the limestone facing until a large overhanging rock is reached, two large drawings will be seen on the roof; one appears to be a large lizard, while the other looks more like a large fish, or it might even be a canoe. Under the rock were found portions of moa eggshells; some cooked and some not. The walls of the rock shelters are darkened by fire smoke, but it would seem that only small fires of charcoal, merely for heating purposes, were used, because it does not appear possible that the Inhabitants could have endured the smoke from green-wood fires in such a position. But, what object had these peculiar natives? Some chroniclers have suggested that the drawings were done as a pastime while sheltering from rough weather. If that were the case, however, why were some done on rocks standing out in the open? Then again, any piece of dry charcoal or ochre would have sufficed for the work, but we find the natives taking the trouble to make their colours fast as though they meant them to be lasting. At the head of the limestones, is one master rock with drawings all over it. Under the rock is evidence of cooking fires. Here was dug up a bird-spear polisher made from New Zealand slate, and as it is worn hollow on one side, it has the appearance of great use.