The art of settler being: Victoria Adams, British Art for British Tastes: The British Art Section at the 1906-1907 New Zealand International Exhibition, PhD dissertation, University of Auckland, 2025 | settler colonial studies blog

The art of settler being: Victoria Adams, British Art for British Tastes: The British Art Section at the 1906-1907 New Zealand International Exhibition, PhD dissertation, University of Auckland, 2025

18Aug25

Abstract: Organised under the aegis of New Zealand Premier Richard Seddon (1845–1906), the 19061907 New Zealand International Exhibition was held to demonstrate the colony’s progress to the world and its achievements as a ‘Better Britain’. There were many different facets to the Exhibition, however this thesis examines the British Art Section, an art exhibit arranged by the British government and paid for by the New Zealand government, and its place in New Zealand art history. Featuring almost 2,000 artworks shipped directly from London for the occasion, it remains the largest exhibition of British art in New Zealand’s history. A principal motivation of the exhibit was to educate colonial viewers on what ‘good’ art was within the Empire, and to cater to a market of middle-class art buyers nostalgic for ‘Home’. The exhibition of popular British artists left an indelible impression on visitors, along with a substantial contribution to New Zealand art collection development. Nearly 600 artworks were purchased, with over £17,000 spent by art societies and galleries in Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland and Dunedin, by the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Art Gallery of South Australia, and by numerous private collectors. Although these acquisitions are of considerable significance for the development of public art collections in Australasia, their impact has been little explored in recent New Zealand art history literature. This thesis addresses this gap in current scholarship, providing an in-depth examination of the British Art Section from its inception to conclusion, arguing that it played a pivotal role in shaping both public and private taste and nascent art collections, and reinforced the desire to have British art in New Zealand.

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