SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021 Stamps due to be released by NZ Post next month and a Tairawhiti Museum exhibition scheduled for 2022 focusing on 19th century Gisborne artist Sarah Ann Featon indicates she was a woman of stature. Why was that so? The Gisborne Herald’s Wynsley Wrigley finds out courtesy of Gisborne historian- researcher Jean Johnston and NZ Post. TREASURED GISBORNE ART: Te Papa collections manager Andrea Hearfield (left) shows Gisborne historian-researcher Jean Johnston one of Sarah Featon’s paintings. Mrs Johnston’s research on the 19th century artist will help Tairawhiti Museum in holding an exhibition next year. Picture supplied Gisborne’s ‘unsung national treasure’ arah Ann Featon may be unknown During the 1870s and 1880s from their by NZ Post. It uniquely shared matauranga (Maori in Gisborne today. home in Customhouse Street, Mrs Featon The book entitled Art Album of New knowledge) of the plants. S But in the late nineteenth and her surveyor husband, Edward, took Zealand Flora, the first full-colour art book The book was praised as a “colonial work of century, the Gisborne botanical on the challenge to disprove “the mistaken ever published in the country in January art” and a copy was sent to Queen Victoria in artist was a best-seller, a prominent citizen in notion that New Zealand is particularly 1889, was a best-seller, 1897 to mark 60 years of her reign. the community, and had her work presented destitute of native flowers”. It was marketed as a coloured illustrative Copies can be accessed in the HB Williams to Queen Victoria. They published a book featuring 40 version of Sir Joseph Hooper’s Handbook Memorial Library and in the collection of The watercolour artist will have some of watercolours of New Zealand’s flowering of New Zealand Flora which had been the Tairawhiti Museum. her work featured on stamps to be released plants along with text written by Edward. standard scientific reference for more than by NZ Post on May 5. Four of the watercolours have been chosen 20 years. Continued on page 2 News year’s resolution? Keep Subscribe It’s easy informed... today 38611-01 Call Cara Haines on 869 0654 or email [email protected] 2 THE GISBORNE HERALD LEAD Success of album reported throughout NZ From page 1 In 1919, widowed and in need of extra finances, Mrs Featon reluctantly parted with her life’s work. She sold her collection of 134 watercolours of New Zealand’s flowering plants to the Dominion Museum, Te Papa’s predecessor, for only £150. NZ Post stamps and collectables programme and content manager Lynette Townsend said the Gisborne artist was an “unsung national treasure”. “We not only create a stunningly-beautiful set of stamps but also highlight the work of a talented and relatively unknown artist. “The images selected were chosen in collaboration with Te Papa curators who picked their favourites based on research interests, aesthetic appeal, and a desire to present an interesting and varied mix of New Zealand plant specimens. “We also took into account practicalities such as the size of stamps and which illustration would or wouldn’t work well on these tiny canvases. Wherever possible, we aimed to accurately represent the original watercolours.” The collectable stamp programme at NZ Post is influenced by a broad range of factors. “Those include commemorative events, a desire to create stamp sets that appeal to our loyal collectors, and an aspiration to produce a well-curated, diverse range of stamps that reflect our history, culture, our past, present and future. No stamp is ever printed without a reason.” Te Papa held a small exhibition of Sarah Featon’s work in 2019, and Tairawhiti Museum will host an exhibition next year. Research and a publication on her life is also under way. Gisborne historian-researcher Jean Johnston said Sarah and Edward Featon and their son came to Gisborne in 1875. They both came from the same part of London and it is likely that Edward knew Sarah’s uncle who had a navigational instrument business. Edward emigrated to Auckland in 1860 as a 19-year-old with his father, stepmother and his brother John. He was employed as a navigational instrument maker and optician and joined the Onehunga Naval Volunteers in 1863 and later the Auckland Naval Volunteers. In 1869, acting on government orders, he led a contingent of men with a 6-pound Armstrong gun in the defence of colonial GREEN FINGERS: Four works of art by Gisborne botanical artist Sarah Featon chosen by NZ Post to feature on stamps will be released on Tauranga which was being threatened by Te May 5. Pre-orders can be made at collectables.nzpost.co.nz Picturesupplied Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki and his followers. He was appointed Captain in the January 29, 1870 on the maiden voyage member of its committee including taking her life. Auckland Military Volunteers, resigning his of the sailing ship City of Auckland and on the role of treasurer. She is remembered by a granddaughter commission to join the Lands and Survey married Edward Featon in St Paul’s Church, He helped in the establishment of the first as a tall, alert, elderly lady of determined Department in 1874. Auckland. library building in Lowe Street. character, who was continually occupied Edward Featon was awarded the New The couple had a daughter, Sarah Ann, The library committee also arranged with painting, leaf pressing, sewing, the Zealand War medal. who died as an infant and son Edward industrial and fine arts exhibitions in the making of model Maori villages, and other He continued his voluntary military Victor who was born in 1872. new library and Sarah Featon entered in a handcrafts. service in Gisborne with the formation Mrs Johnston said it has been suggested number of categories. The National Library of New Zealand also of the Cook County Artillery Corps that by Sarah’s granddaughter that Sarah was The success of the Featons’ Art Album of purchased some of her later paintings from merged into J Battery of New Zealand encouraged to paint by an uncle who was New Zealand Flora was reported throughout her granddaughter during the 1970s. Artillery Volunteers. He served as interested in art. the country and they travelled to Dunedin Sarah died on April 28, 1927, aged 79, and instructor and Sergeant-Major, and then The Featons’ botanical project took many to exhibit and promote their work in the was buried in Makaraka Cemetery alongside as Quartermaster-Sergeant when the years and they had the support of another New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition her husband Edward who had died in 1909. Volunteers made their way towards Opotiki botanist, missionary William Colenso, as held during 1889 and 1890. They were survived by their son Edward in 1889 at the time of Te Kooti Arikirangi well as Gisborne-based Archdeacon W. The family moved to 107 Disraeli Street Victor who married Emily Deason Robinson Te Turuki’s possible return to the Gisborne Leonard Williams who would send or drop and as E. H. Featon and Son, Manufacturers, in 1915 and their two granddaughters, district. in specimens to add to the collection. made products for sale including, Surpho- Constance Sarah Isabella Featon and Emily He was awarded a Long Service Colonial Edward, in his surveying work, also Carbol Dip for dressing sheepskins, Pearl Featon. Medal for his services as a volunteer. collected flowering plants and noted the bonedust (pure) for pastures and gardens, Sarah Ann Porter was born in 1847 and growing conditions of each specimen. Winter Dressing for painting and spraying • Tairawhiti Museum is seeking more was the eldest of four children of Henry With an interest in literature, in 1877, fruit trees, and Cleanser Brand, a sanitary information about Sarah and Edward Featon. William Porter and Sarah Hannah Porter. Edward Featon — in conjunction with soap. Please get in touch with the museum if you Henry was a licensed victualler (publican). Josiah Sigley — organised the Turanganui Sarah Featon continued her interest in are able to help with any images or further Sarah Ann Porter arrived in Auckland on Public Library and for 15 years was a botanical art and painted throughout information. SaTurday, april 17, 2021 3 PROFILE Whānau first Teaching can be tough, but helping raise a village can also be one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. Gisborne Herald reporter Jack Marshall sat down with Cobham School principal Gina Holmes to hear how she and her board are revitalising the school by putting whānau first. ina Holmes set out to train as also a teacher. a farmer. Instead she became a The first thing Gina did was to organise Gprimary school principal. a hui with all the whānau who sent their Gina dreamed of teaching since children to Cobham. she was five years of age but, as life would “I held a huge community consultation have it, she found herself doing a cadetship where I consulted with whānau and tamariki. on a farm here in Gisborne. This spanned out over a month.” That was when she asked herself, “Do I With values and direction set, the school really want to work with cows?” now directs its resources with “whānau first” That conversation was 26-years ago — now in mind. Gina Holmes is principal of Cobham School “For me, that’s what it has always been bringing about an educational renaissance to about right from when I started back in her Cobham classrooms and 43 students. 1996. It’s always been about whānau first.” The school is powered by Te Tiriti o On top of that, overarching everything in Waitangi and puts whānau first at all times.