Hocken Digital Collections

John Turnbull Thomson's photograph album - P1992-004/2

Details

Reference NumberP1992-004/2Date1860-1880CreatorThomson, John Turnbull, 1821-1884DescriptionAn album of 36 photographs of various subjects from around New Zealand, many taken by the Burton Brothers. There are portraits of Māori, Māori taonga given to John Turnbull Thomson by James Hector in 1877, landscapes, public buildings, bridges and streetscapes.

Only a small part of this collection is digitised and available through Digital Collections. Information about other items can be found on the Hākena catalogue, through the Library Catalogues link above.History / BiographyJohn Turnbull was a surveyor, engineer, artist and writer. He was born on 10 August 1821 in Northumberland, one of nine children of Alexander Thomson and his wife Janet Turnbull. After studying mathematics and engineering he travelled to Penang as a surveyor. In 1831 he was appointed government surveyor and engineer of Singapore, and designed and constructed the Horsburgh lighthouse which is still in use today. He was advised to emigrate to New Zealand for health reasons, where in 1856 he was offered the position of chief surveyor of Otago. The first map of the interior of Otago was published in 1860 as a result of his survey. As engineer of the province he was responsible for constructing main roads and designed bridges over the Taieri and Clutha, Twizel, Waianakarua, Mataura and Shotover Rivers. He also laid out the towns of Bluff, Invercargill and Oamaru. In 1876 he was appointed the first surveyor general of New Zealand in 1876. Thomson also painted principally in watercolour and was a prolific author. He married Jane Williamson on 7 October 1858 and together they had nine daughters (Southern People, ed. Jane Thompson, Dunedin, 1998).Provenancedd Dr John Hall-Jones

Photograph

Unidentified woman and child

Taraia Ngakuti

Ratene Hihitaua

Henare Kepa Te Ahururu

Unidentified woman

Trophy of Māori art

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John Turnbull Thomson's photograph album - P1992-004/2

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