Places

Date: 1852

By: Heaphy, Charles, 1820-1881; Wynyard, Robert Henry (Sir), 1802-1864

Reference: A-145-014

Description: Shows a man in a top hat at the far left, watching a paddle-steamer, the 'Governor Wynyard', as it steams along with several top-hatted men on board discussing the possibilities of finding gold. One man dances on top of the circular paddle-casing warning "Jonathan" to stop the boat. Speech balloons issue from the men's mouths. One of the men is addressed as Sawney (an English nickname for a Scotsman), and he replies in a Scottish accent. In the right foreground a hen and her chickens confront a goose and her goslings. The man in the left foreground says: "Looking for gold "you know"!!! Don't you wish you may get it" The man on the paddle casing says: "Easy Jonathan, stop her" The steamer smokestack says: I guess them Britishers'll find the gold end in smoke Three men in the group on board say: "Weel Sawney, I think there's gold there"; "Th[e]re can be nae doot o't, do ye no see it glittering man"; "I'm no jist sure ye see bu[t] I'll tell ye when I hae got it". The "New Zealander" (Auckland) for 13 March 1852 reports a trip by the members of the Gold Reward Committee in the ship 'Governor Wynyard' to the Hen and Chicken Islands, to follow up reports by a Mr Merrick that he had soil specimens from the islands, containing gold. The 'Governor Wynyard' returned with further specimens, but the "New Zealander" for 17 March 1852 reports that laboratory tests found no trace of gold in these specimens. The Gold Reward Committee was set up by the Auckland Provincial Council in 1852 to find workable gold on the North Island of New Zealand. Inscriptions: Recto - above image - [Title]; Verso - top centre - R L Wynyard / 35 Arthur St. / Ellerslie, S.E. 6. Quantity: 1 drawing(s). Physical Description: Ink drawing, 235 x 285 mm. Provenance: From the estate of R L Wynyard of Auckland, descended from Colonel Robert Henry Wynyard.