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Hocken Digital Collections

Dunedin from Little Paisley

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Accession Number14,414CreatorAbbot, Edward Immyns, 17??-1849Date1849

Description

Media & Size177 x 275mmInscriptionson original mount in ink in Dr Hocken’s hand: Dunedin from Little Paisley. T.M. Hocken; label: Na Te Hakena tenei tiki; label in ink in Dr Hocken’s hand: Little Paisley was on the site of the present Southern Cemetery, so called after a few paisley weavers, who grouped there together at the beginning of the settlement. One of the number, John Barr, was later appointed caretaker & sexton. He now lies under his old hearthstone. This sketch, which is the original, was done in 1849, though not lithographed until about 1853, by Edward Immyns Abbott, a young surveyor of superior abilities, of musical & artistic accomplishments, he died in October 1849. Abbotsford near Green Island was called after him. T.M.H.DescriptionThis small watercolour of Dunedin from Little Paisley was painted by Edward Immyns Abbot in 1849. The work was acquired by Dr T.M. Hocken who described the artist as ‘a young surveyor of superior abilities’. The surveyor’s role was to record and detail the landscape. Hence Abbot’s careful documentation of the viewpoint, Little Paisley, called after a group of paisley weavers who lived on what is now the site of the Southern Cemetery.

The sketch also reveals the early settlers’ arcadian vision for their new home. The tree stumps indicate the clearing of land for development, while the smoking chimneys and ships in the harbour present the small settlement as already full of activity. The clearly European family, bedecked in proper hats, jackets and shawl stand admiring and claiming the land spread before them. Such figures are not uncommon in the history of European and early New Zealand landscape painting. Through lithography, images such as Little Paisley (published in London around 1853) were distributed throughout ‘the homeland’ inspiring faith in the success of the new colony.

Little Paisley was on the site of the present Southern Cemetery, so called after a few paisley weavers, who grouped there together at the beginning of the settlement. One of the number, John Barr, was later appointed caretaker & sexton. He now lies under his old hearthstone.

The Otago settlement was founded by the Free Church of Scotland in 1848, but economic rather than religious reasons brought most settlers to Dunedin. Hardy and adaptable, they traveled with everything, gravestones included. John Barr, who arrived as a weaver from Paisley in Scotland in 1848, worked as the gaoler and pound-keeper before becoming sexton of the adjacent Southern Cemetery. He now rests there ‘under his old hearthstone’, according to Dr Hocken’s annotation on this work.

Dr Hocken also recognized the ‘superior abilities’ that distinguished Abbot (c1820--49) as a young New Zealand Company surveyor. This watercolour and a fine pencil portrait of Te Rauparaha from June 1845, also in the Pictures Collection testify to Abbot’s draughting skills. Joining Sydney Scroggs in the preliminary survey of the Otago Settlement and Taieri Plain in 1847, he painted this Paisley weaver family gazing north towards Mount Cargill from their new home two years later. Lithographs based on this sylvan scene were made in Bloomsbury in 1853 and lured many more British immigrants to Dunedin.

Abbot’s ten months of employment ended tragically with his death in October 1849. Having once watched Abbot wade across the Kaikorai Stream, chief surveyor Charles Kettle decided to name Abbotsford in the talented young assistant’s memory.ProvenanceDr T.M. Hocken’s Collection

Depicts Or Relates To

PlacesDunedinMount CargillSubjectsCompositional Device -- FigureHuman Figure In ArtLandscapes

CollectionŌtepoti / DunedinDr Hocken’s original collection

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Dunedin from Little Paisley

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