Pioneer Arrivals
Green Hills

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Record 6/62
Copyright Marlborough Museum - Marlborough Historical Society Inc
Image
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Collection MHS (unaccessioned) Art
Date 1884
Description Green Hills, Tua Marina, 1884. The home of Mr. And Mrs. Frederick Smith Senior. On 18 August 2006 Ruth Duncan (a staff member at MHS) says, "Auntie Edna Smith, who was brought up at Green Hills, told me it was just a travelling artist who did the painting.

A note from the back of the painting was given to Jenny Pierson on 24/11/2006 by Steve Austin, who found it when the painting was taken down for repairs. (For other notes see the Notes field.) The hand writing is that of an unknown person, possibly Frank W. Smith. It says:

"This water colour painting of the homestead of 'Green Hills' Tua Marina, the home of Frederick Smith Senior was made by a travelling artist named Murray in 1884.

The home was erected in 1875 of selected timber from Koromiko. Note the small building on the right of the house in which the family lived while the home was being built.

The architect who supervised the construction of the home was Mr. William Douslin and the builder a Mr. Dark. Note the post and rail fences along the road with the hawthorns at the base, just getting established for the hedges which developed later.

The man with the dray load of flax en route to the flaxmill is Frederick Smith Junior aged 24. One of the animals shown is a pedigree shorthorn bull from Mr John Grigg of Longbeach, Canterbury. Frederick Smith's method of getting about was on horseback, note his riding horse with the saddle on.

The barn seen through the gum trees was demolished in 1945, while the row of trees were cut down in the 1930s.

The two gum trees at the gate are still there (1972) now grown into huge specimens.

This picture hung in the home at Green Hills until Fred Smith Senior retired to a home he had built in Fearon Street, Blenheim 1897. He died in 1919 aged 89 and the picture remained there until Mrs. Smith died in 1933 aged 91. It was then taken care of by Mrs. Frederick Smith junior and it later passed into the care of her son Frank W. Smith who on March.... (rest ripped off)..... ".

(Jenny Pierson 30/11/2006 - Ruth Ducan, a grand-daughter of William Smith, thinks Frank W. Smith may have donated this painting to MHS in the 1970s. As the above note was written in 1972, it may have been written by him, perhaps the ripped off piece is about the date he donated it and who to).
Year Range from 1884
Object ID 0000.800.0856
Object Name Painting
Other # 0003
People Smith, Frederick Senior
Smith, Eliza (nee Powick)
Smith, Frederick Junior
Smith, Edna
Dark, Mr.
Powick, Eliza (later Smith)
Tunnicliffe, Allan
Smith, William
Murray, Mr.
Douslin, William
Grigg, John
Gain, James
Gain, Henrietta Gough (later Smith)
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Last modified on: April 13, 2015