Thomas Hutton

Thomas Hutton arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand in 1843 initially to teach at St John’s College, Waimate, but moved with the College to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland the following year. Initially he taught at the collegiate school as a Junior Master, later becoming an ordained priest. In 1849, he travelled to the Bay of Islands on the Undine, Bishop Selwyn’s boat, to marry Sarah Williams. The couple settled briefly in Pōneke Port Nicholson, before returning to the Bay of Islands where they stayed until returning to England in 1869, residing there for the remainder of their lives. His unstudied watercolours made in New Zealand give a fascinating glimpse into early colonial life in the years following the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.