An Empire of Plants? Talk by Professor James Beattie

An Empire of Plants?: Chinese plants, Asian/European trade, and Aotearoa New Zealand, 1790s-1920s
Talk by Scholar in Residence, Professor James Beattie

In recognition of its 15th anniversary, Lan Yuan Scholar in Residence, Associate Professor James Beattie discusses Chinese plants, Asian/European trade, and Aotearoa New Zealand from the 1790s to 1920s.

“Our King at Kew & the Emperor of China at Jehol solace themselves under the shade of the same trees & admire the elegance of many of the same flowers in their respective gardens.” Joseph Banks to Sir George Staunton, Letter, January 1796 (Ray Desmond, Kew: The History of the Royal Botanic Gardens, London, 1995, p. 98.)

Both the British Empire and the Chinese Empire were as much empires of plants as they were empires of conquest. For Joseph Banks, planting-hunting and empire-making were closely interlinked objectives which he eagerly promoted.

In light of Banks’ activities and statement above about the availability of Chinese plants in Britain, this talk examines some of the manner in which imperial connections between China, India, Britain, Australia and New Zealand reveal lesser known histories of plant introductions from Asia—and particularly China—into New Zealand from the 1830s.

Beattie will focus on two groups of people who introduced Asian plants into New Zealand: the first, typified by former East India Company trader Thomas McDonnell, who settled in the Hokianga in 1830, and—the second group—comprising Cantonese migrants and gardeners, such as Dunedin flower-lover Wong Koo, who came to New Zealand from the mid-1860s.

James Beattie is Associate Professor, Victoria University of Wellington; and Senior Research Associate, Department of History, Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg.

5.30pm, Wednesday 6 September
Lan Yuan Tower Room - please meet at Lan Yuan Dunedin Chinese Garden entrance.
Free