HEKE TE TOA! HOW HAS HONE HEKE POKAI, PICTORIALLY REPRESENTED, CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW ZEALAND’S NATIONAL IDENTITY 1840-2005? A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN ART HISTORY BY NATHAN THOMPSON UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY 2006 E whakamaharatanga mō taku matua, John ‘Puku’Thompson, mō taku whaia Noreen Thompson Tena koe mō tō awhina ite ako ia hau me nga tohutohu tanga. Dedicated to the memory of my late father, John ‘Puku’ Thompson, and for my mother Noreen Thompson. Thank you for teaching me and inspiring me. Contents Abstract................................................................................................................................v Acknowledgements.............................................................................................................vi List of illustrations............................................................................................................. vii Introduction: Heke and ‘New Zealand’ .....................................................................................................1 National identity and New Zealand..............................................................................3 Theoretical perspectives/literary sources......................................................................4 Heke, ‘visual representation’ and ‘nation’....................................................................8 A brief biography of Hone Heke Pokai......................................................................10 The artists....................................................................................................................13 Outline of chapters......................................................................................................15 Chapter One: Heke portrayed by colonial artists of the Pioneering Period............................................17 A brief introduction to the artists................................................................................20 R. A. Oliver.................................................................................................................22 Oliver’s Honi, Bay of Islands …………………………..…………………………...23 Joseph Jenner Merrett.................................................................................................26 Merrett’s portraits of Heke………………………………………………………….27 Copies of Heke after Merrett......................................................................................33 J. A. Gilfillan..............................................................................................................37 Gilfillan’s drawings of Heke......................................................................................38 William Duke……………………………………………………………………......40 Dukes’ The Celebrated Chief Hone or John Heke .....................................................40 George French Angas………………………………………………….....…………42 Angas’ Hone Heki and Patuone ………………………………………...…………..42 Chapter summary………………………………………………................................44 Chapter Two: Heke’s revival in pictorial representations from 1886 to 1962 ……………………….....47 A brief introduction to the artists…………………………………………….....…...50 Julian Ashton……………………………………………………………………......52 Ashton’s Hone Heke ...................................................................................................53 Elizabeth Mary Hocken.................................…………………...…….………….....56 Hocken’s Hone Heke Pokai .............................................................…...……………57 Arthur David McCormick…………..…………………………………………….....59 McCormick’s Heke fells the flagstaff at Kororareka .................................................60 Leonard Cornwall Mitchell……………………………………………………….....64 Mitchell’s A reconstruction of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi ........................65 Dennis Knight Turner…………………………………………………………….....69 Knight Turner’s ‘Heke’ paintings..............................................................................70 Chapter summary………………………………………………………………........74 Chapter Three: Pictorial representations of Heke in post-1975 New Zealand art ………………….........77 Post-colonialism in post-1975 New Zealand..............................................................78 A brief introduction to the artists………………………………………………........81 Christine Drummond……………………………………………………………......82 Drummond’s Hone Heke Waitangi Day protest poster………….………………….84 Philip Kelly……………………………………………………………………….....86 Kelly’s Treaty Timeline .............................................................................................87 Clive Arlidge……………………………………………………………………......89 Arlidge’s Heke Te Toa series and Heke Meets Black Jack .........................................90 Lester Hall…………………………….………………………………………….....92 Hall’s ‘Heke’ paintings...............................................................................................93 Chapter summary………………………………………………………………........98 Chapter Four: Heke outlawed! Pictorial representations of Heke in the Australian exhibition ‘Outlawed! Rebels, Revolutionaries and Bushrangers’ ……………………..................................................100 Exhibited pictorial representations of Heke: a brief history.....................................103 Trans-Tasman and international perspectives of Heke……………...…………......105 Relating Heke to the heroes of Outlawed!…………………………………...….....108 Institutional roles......................................................................................................113 Heke’s continuing legacy in Outlawed! .................……………………………......119 Chapter summary......................................................................................................122 Conclusion: Heke, his pictorial representations and New Zealand’s national identity ......................124 Pictorial representations of Heke and early New Zealand society...........................127 Pictorial representations of Heke and modern New Zealand society.......................128 Representations of Heke and New Zealand’s national identity................................129 Illustrations...............................................................................................................131-175 References………………………………………………………………....……………176 ABSTRACT By developing a body of information about Hone Heke Pokai, the renowned Ngapuhi chief famed for ‘chopping down the flagstaff at Kororareka’, the objective of this dissertation is to examine his pictorial representations, thus identifying how they have contributed to New Zealand’s national identity from 1840 to 2005. By creating an archive of images of Heke, it is my intention to examine the Ngapuhi leader in a new context. While paying homage to Heke, this dissertation also reinforces his significance, as conveyed by these images, to New Zealand national identity. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge Hone Heke Pokai. His political genius, determination and foresight have contributed to defining New Zealand’s identity. I further acknowledge Heke as a member of his extensive whanau. For this reason, the lengthy journey in writing this dissertation was both professional and personal. For their time, invaluable information and contribution to my thesis, I would like to acknowledge and thank the artists Christine Drummond, Clive Arlidge and Lester Hall. By addressing Hone Heke Pokai and New Zealand’s bicultural history, their art has, and continues to, challenge the way in which New Zealanders identify themselves. I would like to thank my fellow M.A. students for their support and companionship. I would especially like to thank Lynn Bendall and Barbara Garrie for their invaluable ‘last-minute’ proof reading assistance. Special thanks are due to my supervisor, Jo Diamond. This thesis could not have been written without her assistance, guidance, personal insight, and moral support. Thank you for reintroducing me to Heke. Kia ora Jo! Finally, I would like to thank my Mother, Noreen, my Father, John, my uncle Bill Peoples, and all family and whanau who have supported me in my ‘earnest’ attempt in writing this dissertation. I thank you all. List of Illustrations Figure 1. Joseph Jenner Merrett, Hone Heke Pokai , 1846..............................................131 Figure 2. W. A. Thomas, lithograph after George Thomas Clayton, Kororareka in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. Sketched Mar. 10th 1845 on the morning before the assault and destruction by Honi Heke , c.1845................................................................132 Figure 3. ‘Operations around the Bay of Islands’. Reproduced from Michael Barthorp’s To Face the Daring Maoris: Soldiers impressions of the First Maori War 1845-47, London, Hodder and Stoughton, 1979, unpaginated.......................................................133 Figure 4. J. A. Gilfillan, Hone Heke , c.1846...................................................................134 Figure 5. R. A. (Richard Aldworth) Oliver, Honi, Bay of Islands, 1840 , 1840.....................................................................................135 Figure 6. Sir Joshua Reynolds, Portrait of Omai , 1775-1776...........................................................................................136 Figure 7. James Barry, The Rev. Thomas Kendall and the Maori Chiefs Hongi Hika and Waikato , 1820.................................................................137 Figure 8. Joseph Jenner Merrett, Johny