Places

Date: 1845

By: Heaphy, Charles, 1820-1881; Bell, Francis Dillon (Sir), 1822-1898

Reference: C-173-001

Description: Shows the coastal road and hills of the Nelson foreshore, with what is now Abel Tasman National Park seen in the distance. Two Maori carry a rod between them with a line of fish hanging from it. Various houses can be seen at the road's edge, and boats of different types are in the water. One dinghy in the foreground is kept under a roofed shelter. Oxen pulling a cart can also be seen travelling the road Inscriptions: Recto - bottom right - C Heaphy 1845 [in faint brushpoint] Quantity: 1 watercolour(s). Physical Description: Watercolour on paper, 215 x 310 mm Provenance: Previously purchased from a Parisian dealer, who acquired the work at a French provincial auction and possibly originally part of the collection of Francis Dillon Bell. Transfers: The Library owns several other works from the same provenance, by Francis Dillon Bell and Charles Heaphy, purchased 2006 and 2014, reference numbers C-025-025, C-012-007, and C-173-002.

Date: 1844, 1848

By: Heaphy, Charles, 1820-1881; Fletcher, James Muir Cameron (Sir), 1914-2007; Bell, Francis Dillon (Sir), 1822-1898

Reference: C-012-007

Description: Watercolour by Charles Heaphy. Shows a young Māori woman, Meri Wikitoria Makarini of Massacre Bay. She is smiling gently, and is seated on the ground with her legs to one side. She is barebreasted with a cloak or rug covering her lower torso and legs except for the lower right leg. Meri Makarini was the granddaughter of Henare Te Keha, and the daughter of Wikitoria te Amohau and Fritz of Bremen (information from Tuckett correspondence, 12 April 1843 in Hocken Library's MS-0156, page 195?). She was baptised by Samuel Ironside on 15 January 1843. Parawhakaoho Pa (spelled on Heaphy's similar work in the British Library as Parawakao) was reportedly close to Collingwood (source of information unknown). Heaphy's very similar portrait in the British Library is dated 1844, so it seems likely that the work depicts the subject in about 1844, despite the date of 1848. In addition, Heaphy had land in the Motueka area, relatively close to Golden Bay, between December 1842 and 1845. However, in early 1848 he worked to re-establish the boundaries of native reserves allocated at Motueka and Golden Bay and may have met Meri Wikitoria a second time, making a copy of his earlier portrait. Title transcribed from item. Inscriptions: Recto - bottom left - Charles Heaphy / 1848 This portrait is very similar to another in the British Library Add MS 19954, Folio 58 (68), titled "Meri Wikitoria [Meri Makarini] (a half cast) of Parawakao, Massacre Bay". Quantity: 1 watercolour(s). Physical Description: Watercolour, 365 x 288 mm. Provenance: Previously from the collection of Sir James and Lady Fletcher who purchased it from John Leech Gallery in 2005. Previously owned by a Paris dealer, who acquired this work and four others by Heaphy and Francis Dillon Bell at a French country sale. Possibly originally owned by Francis Dillon Bell. The Library has acquired three other works from the collection, purchased 2006 and 2014, reference numbers C-025-025, C-173-001 and C-173-002. The 5th work, a panorama of New Plymouth by Bell is in Puke Ariki. Processing information: Description updated 30 August 2023 following information provided by a staff member.