Behind the Brush

The publican and entrepreneur, the retired warrior who wanted to wrestle Queen Victoria’s lions, and the young MP who dedicated his life to the people.

The first Māori to be knighted, the Māori MP who took on the church to the Supreme Court and man whose writings would prove invaluable for the Ngāi Tahu treaty claim.

The man Lindauer had a special relationship with, and the whānau who mortgaged the farm to bring their tūpuna home.

The chief Lindauer painted with a Huia bird as an earring, his cousin who had no time for Pākehā and the chief who as a boy was gifted a nail and a potato by Captain Cook.

The chief who was responsible for the town of Foxton, the girl who stole the heart of a prince and the pragmatic chief who wanted to set up a Māori parliament.

The Major who fought with the crown to advance his people’s cause, the prophet who danced with the rainbow and cultivator of food to feed the people.

The old chief who named himself King George, the young warrior determined to make a name for himself and woman whose mana and skill with a taiaha made her a must for large ceremonies.