EARLY AUCKLAND

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 91, 15 October 1934, Page 5

EARLY AUCKLAND

BOOK OF SKETCHES

A WOMAN'S RECORD

BISHOP ABBAHAM'S WIFE

(From "The Post's" representative.) LONDON, September 7. For eighty years an interesting collection or! water colour sketches of Auckland have remained in the hands of a certain family. This week they have been lent to Messrs. J. and E. Biimpus, Ltd., of Oxford Street, who, some time ago, organised a comprehensive exhibition of Empire literature, documents, and prints. Aucklauders would have a very delightful time, examining these pictures of the site of their city iv its natural state. The sketches are by the late Mrs. Charles Abraham, wife of Bishop Abraham, who went to New Zealand in ISSO. The Kcv. Charles Abraham, who was a son of Captain Abraham, R.N., of Fnrnborough Hall, became a master of Eton College, but. left to take up the appointment as master of the English department of St. John's College, Auckland. lie became Archdeacon of Wnitematn, and in 18u8 was :. t ipointcd Bishop of Wellington, returning to England in 1870, where he became- co-adjutor to Dr. Sclwyn, the Bishop of Lichfield. In 1830, on leaving for New Zealand, Mr. Abraham married .Caroline Harriet, daughter of Sir Charles Palmer, Bart., of Wanlep Hall, Leicestershire, the cousin o£ the wife of Bishop Selwyn. Mrs. Abraham seems to havo been an artist of some skill. She did not go far from her home to find her subjects, but in the years 1552 to 1555 she painted some 34 sketches from points within easy distance of the group of buildings forming St. John 's College. She died in 1577, leaving all the sketches to her sou (now the Et. Ecv. Charles Thomas Abraham, Vicar of Astbury, Cheshire, and previously Suffragan Bishop of Stafford). CALL ON HIGH COMMISSIONER. The present Bishop Abraham, who left New Zealand when ho was ten years old, happened to read in "The Times" about the collection of books relating to the Dominions, ana he wrote to Messrs. J. and_E. Bumpus. He mentioned that, though the drawings might, not possess much artistic value, they gave a correct inventory of the various places at the time. Bishop Abraham also called on Sir James Parr and brought to his knowledge the existence of the- collection. It is quite likely that some library in the- Dominion would bo interested to know of tho collection. The 34 sketches are lightly pasted into a book formed of brown paper, and each sketch has an inscription written with a pen. In one or two cases it is not easy to read the titles and dates, but a powerful magnifying glass would enable one to decipher practically all tho letters. Several of tho sketches deal with the St. John's College group. The buildings were erected in a rough semicircle with the shoemaker's shop on tho left wing, then tho printing office, I he wnshhousc, the Bishop's house, tho English boys' hall, tho kitchen, students' room and hospital, tho chapel, tho school, and the Maori sleeping room. All these details are given as a key to tho sketch. Other pictures relate to one or two of the buildings, or to the chapel, or to the Bishop's house, and in a number of the laudscapes there appear tho buildings of the college in tho distance. . Most of these sketches were made in ISS-. VARIETY OF SCENES. "Looking over the Vale of Howick and Mr. Martin's house, Manukau, 1853," is tho inscription on another sketch. It is a wide open country with the one solitary house to be seen. "Easter Monday, 1853, Bangitoto," shows, a well-known scene. Then there is "Tamaki Heads and Islands." Another landscape shows Flagstaff House, Mr. Swanson's house, the Judge's house, North Heads and Kangitoto. Manukau Heads are pictured "taken eastward from the priest's house." There is something very homely iv the. picture, "The Old Manuka Tree on the way to Orakci." One wonders how long the fine old tree withstood the onrush of civilisation. "From the high ground by Mr. Lloyd's new house, St. Barnabas Street," "Ascension Day, St. John's College, from Richmond Hiil," "From Howick below tho parsonage, January, 1833," "Entrances to Coromandel Harbour," "View from Swanson's," "Auckland Pier and St. Paul's Church, from the water," "North Head, Eangitoto," "From Waipawa port, looting N.E.," and looking S.E., are titles which speak for themselves. Then, there is a. picture of a .small lake in the midst of uninhabited lancl. The inscription, except for tho words, "Lake Paradise," is not clear, but it would seem to bo Lake Takapuna. Two sketches are copied from those by Mr. Martin. These are " Hobsdn's Bay, with the College on the hill, 1852," and "Mount Albert, near Auckland." All the paintings have been done with groat .accuracy and care, attention to detail, and always the atmosphere of the New Zealand scenery, which must -have been so . new and strange to the young artist, has not been missed. They are not tho work of a fleeting visitor, but obviously of one who had begun to love her new homo •in a lonely part of the t world. THOMAS BUTTON'S SKETCHES. In addition to this group, Bishop Abraham has lent a book of sketches by "Thomas Biddulph Hutton, Purew.i, 1845." The title page of the book is decorated with Maori designs. Some of the twenty sketches are very carefully done, especially tho pen and ink ones. Others are obviously hurried, but all are interesting as showing tho impressions made on a man in those faroff flays. Several of tho drawings are of Maori groups or of singlo Maoris. Thus wo havo Ko Tamihana to Eauparaha, a young and handsome warrior in flax cloak. Then there are sketches of various Maori pas, one of importances being Owharawai, tho pa of Hona Heke, copied from a drawing by Mr. Symontls, of tho 99th Regiment.

"Dinner at Potatoes Bay" recalls a picnic, scene of 89 years ago. Two sketches illustrate Wnimato School, in the early days. Finally, at the back nf this book is pasted a huia feather. Theses sketches are not so carefully (Innn ,'is those of Mrs. Abraham, but doubtless the earlier date gives them especial value.