Discovering New Zealand - Anthony Savill

This exhibition is a collection of antique maps, charts and engravings made by the early explorers of New Zealand and the South Pacific curated and assembled by Anthony Savill who comes from a career as a zoologist, curator, administrator and exhibition organiser at the Canterbury Museum, Christchurch. He has had a lifetime interest in early exploration, New Zealand and the historical documentation of human history and culture. This interest was reinforced while working at the British Museum of Natural History in London, studying the original natural history specimens collected by scientists like Sir Joseph Banks on Captain James Cook’s voyage. Anthony also descends from a long line of shipping entrepreneurs who established the Shaw Savill Shipping Line in 1865 which had a long association with New Zealand for over 100 years. More recently, Anthony has spent many years travelling on his canal boat through England, France, Holland, Belgium and W. Germany where he has collected many of the items that are displayed in this selling exhibition.

"Captain James Cook was sent on a mission of discovery. The Pacific was the best place to view the Transit of Venus i.e. the planet travelling across the face of the sun, so the voyage of the Endeavour to the South Pacific began. Cook was an excellent cartographer (map maker) and journal keeper. Also on board the Endeavour, and on his two later trips, were artists and scientists who made incredibly detailed accounts of early Maori and the fauna and flora of New Zealand." Anthony Savill

Gallery hours: Tuesday to Friday 10am - 3.30pm and Saturdays 10am to 2pm.