Artwork Information

On entering the Bay of Islands d'Urville was surprised not to be met by waka, having been so welcomed on a previous visit three years before. On consulting with Māori he discovered that the area was currently wreaked by intertribal warfare and that many of the local warriors had recently headed south to make war with the people of the Hauraki Gulf. The beauty of the area clearly made an impression on the Captain, and from a high vantage point, he mused "I gazed admiringly at the superb view of the whole bay, with its ramifications and the many islands which caused Cook to give it its name. As I reflected on the advantages this marvellous harbour can offer to ships, I could not help thinking of the importance it will assume some day when New South Wales has become a powerful state.' (D'Urville quoted in Rosenman, 1987, p.106).