Highlights

Caroline Lush (nee White) was born and bred in Northland and at 10 years old she began painting lessons. Her watercolour paintings feature the native flora and fauna she grew up surrounded by. After moving to Auckland with her family and training as a teacher, she married John Martin Hawkins Lush in 1883. Later that year, she joined the Auckland Free School of Art and the New Zealand Art Students Association and won prizes for her artwork – her certificates are included in this collection.

Colin McArthur and Co. was a prominent wallpaper manufacturer based in Canada. They produced a wide variety of patterns from 1874 to 1927, and many of these were imported into New Zealand. We have a sample of their patterns that have been used in our heritage buildings.

This leatherbound Lush family photograph album contains cartes-de-visite and cabinet photograph portraits that were popular in the late 19th century. The pages of the album have been hand-decorated with delicate botanical illustrations attributed to Caroline Lush, whose botanical paintings also feature in the Ewelme collection.

Arthur Morrow arrived in New Zealand in 1861. He worked as a draughtsman in Auckland 1873-74 and later worked in the Government Survey Office. He married Mariamne Buckland in 1877 and they lived in ‘Simla’ in Epsom and later Bucklands Beach. He is known for his detailed pencil drawings and paintings of the local area. This collection of drawings by Arthur Morrow were donated to Highwic by his descendants.

Built by Allan Kerr Taylor in 1863, the Kerr Taylor family lived at Alberton until it was gifted to Heritage New Zealand in 1972. The house came with personal effects such as this collection of family photographs depicting family portraits, the early Alberton residence and surrounding farmland.