Legacy

Community Legacy to the Arts in South Canterbury

The legacy of the arts in South Canterbury is a remarkable story of collective vision, civic generosity, and enduring community support. The Aigantighe Art Gallery, as the heart of this legacy, stands not only as a cultural institution but as a living testament to the region’s commitment to creativity, heritage, and public good.

Building the Collection

The district’s civic art collection began in earnest in 1910, driven by the South Canterbury Art Society, founded in 1895. The society believed strongly that art was essential to the development of taste, thinking, and civic pride in a growing town. With encouragement from then-Mayor James Craigie, the society began acquiring artworks, starting with a gift from Craigie himself and followed by others purchased through public donations such as the Wells fund. The early collection featured notable works by both New Zealand and international artists and formed the nucleus of what would become the permanent collection.

Over time, the collection has grown through philanthropic gifts, bequests, and active acquisitions. Families such as the Grants and Wigleys contributed not only artworks but also furnishings, archives, and personal collections. Their gifts have ensured the collection is both regionally grounded and nationally significant.

Archibald Nicoll 1886-1953) Helen Grant c1940 Aigantighe Art Gallery Collection Acc 1998-34 Reproduced courtesy of the Aigantighe Art Gallery

A Home for the Arts

Aigantighe was built in 1908 as the retirement home of Alexander Grant (1852–1921) and Helen L. Grant (1854–1955). They had emigrated from Scotland and farmed Gray’s Hills Station in the Mackenzie Country.

It was the wish of Mrs Grant, her daughter Jessie Wigley (1880–1958), and her daughter-in-law Lorena Grant (1885–1972), that Aigantighe become an art gallery.

Helen Grant lived in Aigantighe until her death at the age of 101. Her son, James Grant (1879–1969), then donated Aigantighe in 1956 to Timaru for an art gallery.

Aigantighe Art Gallery opened in 1956 with a collection donated by the Grant family and the South Canterbury Arts Society. This has been substantially added to.

Today, the Aigantighe House Gallery shows selections of works from its large and growing permanent collection.

In 1955, the vision of a permanent gallery home became a reality when siblings Jessie Wigley and James Grant gifted their family residence, the Aigantighe House, and gardens to the Timaru District Council. This generous gift provided a dedicated and beautiful setting for public access to art and was the culmination of decades of effort by the Art Society and local advocates.

The Aigantighe Art Gallery officially opened to the public in 1956, with 82 of its initial 84 accessioned works coming from the South Canterbury Art Society. From the very beginning, it was understood that this gallery was to be owned by and serve the community.

Extending the Vision

As the collection and public interest grew, so did the need for more space. In 1978, a major extension was added to the original house, funded by a combination of civic grants, charitable trusts, and community fundraising efforts. Designed by local architect Ronald Doig, the new wing included gallery space, a reception area, and staff facilities.

In 1995, further development included a purpose-built, climate-controlled store and offices to protect and manage the growing collection. This too was made possible through combined funding from the Timaru District Council, the Lottery Grants Board, the Friends of the Aigantighe, and community donors.

Each of these expansions reflects not only practical need but the community’s willingness to invest in its cultural institutions and the belief that the arts matter to the identity and well-being of the region.

Rallying for the Arts

Throughout its history, the gallery has been sustained by a remarkable level of community engagement. The Friends of the Aigantighe, established in 1976, have been central to this legacy. They have raised funds for building projects, equipment, restoration of artworks, and public amenities. They initiated and maintained a volunteer front desk service for 24 years and have hosted countless events that bring people together around art.

Individual artists, educators, local businesses, and families have all contributed time, resources, and creativity. From early art societies to current volunteers, the people of South Canterbury have consistently shown up for the arts—whether by purchasing tickets, supporting fundraising, offering gifts and bequests, or simply turning up in great numbers for exhibitions and programmes.

A Lasting Legacy

Today, the Aigantighe Art Gallery is home to over 1,800 works of art and continues to host diverse exhibitions and educational events. This cultural richness is the result of over a century of community leadership, philanthropy, and participation.

The gallery’s existence is proof of what is possible when a community embraces the arts as part of its civic life. It has become not only a place to view and appreciate art but a space to gather, learn, reflect, and belong. The community legacy to the arts in South Canterbury is a legacy of care, vision, and the deep belief that art should be a part of everyday life for everyone.

Garden party and tours through the Aigantighe Art Gallery House, modern extension, and sculpture garden. Photography By Friends of Aigantighe volunteer Geoff Cloake December 2024. 

Produced by the Aigantighe Art Gallery (More video is on You Tube Here)

Its no secret that we love the Aigantighe Art Gallery in Timaru. It has an incredible legacy of hundreds of people working together over a century for our public art gallery and incredible collection.

"The Aigantighe Art Gallery is proud to be the home of art in South Canterbury, with a rich collection and a diverse exhibition programme, we strive to engage and inspire our visitors. The Aigantighe Art Gallery’s unique garden setting is always open to the public, featuring a wide variety of permanent sculptures set amongst established trees and gardens." - Aigantighe Art Gallery

Transcription 

Tēnā koutou and thank you for coming along this evening.

It’s lovely to have you here, and welcome also to the South Canterbury Art Society exhibition—which I’m sure you had a look at before we dimmed the lights. It’s quite special for me to be giving this talk surrounded by the South Canterbury Art Society exhibition, because the Society is, in fact, the beginning of the legacy of the Aigantighe Art Gallery.

I’d also like to acknowledge the support of the Timaru District Council for this event. I believe our Community Services Manager, Simon Liggett, is in the audience—thank you for coming, Simon. Before I begin, I’d also like to acknowledge tangata whenua.

So, let’s get started. A successful community gallery always has a lot of people involved. The story of the Aigantighe Art Gallery is one of passionate individuals and groups who believed that a civic art collection and public gallery were essential for a thriving city and community. Tonight’s narrative will explain how certain people and organisations helped shape the gallery into what it is today.

Here’s a slide showing the gallery’s six directors to date. I’ve included this to accompany a bit about my research process. This talk covers the legacies behind the Aigantighe Art Gallery from approximately the turn of the 20th century until 1996—from its inception through to the final storage extension completed in 1995. We’ll look at the periods of four directors, highlighted in blue, and I’ve also woven 13 artworks from the permanent collection into the narrative, which I’m sure you’ll enjoy amidst the history.

My research drew heavily from newspaper articles preserved in the gallery’s archives. I want to acknowledge previous staff, especially former directors and Timaru artists Ainsley Manson and Meg Parkin, who diligently collected many cuttings and placed them into books. I’d also like to thank the South Canterbury Art Society for gifting those archives to the gallery’s care.

I must also acknowledge art historian Laura Dunham, who has written on Aigantighe House; Tony Rippin from the South Canterbury Museum, who supplied many of the images used tonight; my colleague Hamish Pettingell for his research as project manager for Aigantighe House; and my manager, Cara Fitzgerald, for her knowledge of the gallery’s history.

The continuous process of building a public collection for Timaru began in 1910, initiated by the South Canterbury Art Society. The society had been formed in 1895, and although exhibitions weren’t held annually, the first was in 1896 at the local Assembly Rooms. Later exhibitions were held at the Technical College. Notable working members included William Greene, William Ferrier (Colin McCahon’s grandfather), C.H.T. Sterndale, R.H. Rhodes, Alexander Roulston, and James Craig.

You’ll find a history of the South Canterbury Art Society catalogue on your chair—please feel free to look through it later for more details. Like other art societies in New Zealand, it was modelled after the Royal Academy in London and aimed to champion the importance of art in growing cities. These societies promoted the cultivation of higher standards in living, taste, and thinking. They believed art could improve society’s principles and behaviour—essentially encouraging civilisation in colonial outposts.

Though they exhibited and sold local artworks, these societies also sought out works by British and European “masters” to inspire local artists and elevate standards. The South Canterbury Art Society aimed to promote the study, practice, and enjoyment of the fine arts, help artists sell their works, and, when funds allowed, establish what they called “an art library and an art gallery in Timaru.”

They believed that all art—whether owned, displayed, or created—was proof that the city was moving forward. The Society aimed to collect artworks as a nucleus for a civic collection and advocated for a public gallery to house and exhibit it.

One pivotal figure was James Craigie, mayor of Timaru from 1902 to 1912. Originally from Perthshire, Scotland, Craigie had arrived in Timaru in 1867. He worked first as a painter and decorator before entering local politics. He was a working member and later president of the South Canterbury Art Society and a passionate supporter of the arts. Many of you will know that he gifted the statue of Robert Burns that stands at the entrance to the Timaru Botanical Gardens.

The concept of a public art gallery and civic art collection was driven by Craigie. He once said, “It has always been my wish to advance the interests of this town and district, and I am of the opinion that the establishment of an art gallery will add to the attraction of a bright town.” He put his aspiration into action when, in 1910, he personally gifted the very first artwork to the Timaru civic collection.

That work—a small landscape titled Scene in Surrey painted in 1909—is actually on display now. After the talk, you can see it in our salon space, which has the red walls. William Greene, who painted it, was a founding member of the South Canterbury Art Society. Born in Australia, he moved to New Zealand as a child, and by 1894 he had established a studio in Bank Street, Timaru. The following year, he partnered with C.H.T. Sterndale and opened an art school and studio in the Royal Arcade.

In the early 20th century, Greene travelled to London to study at the Cauldron School of Animal Painting in Kensington. He returned to Timaru and taught painting and drawing at Timaru Boys’ High School and Timaru Technical College from 1912. Inspired by the French Realists like Jules Breton and Jean-François Millet, Greene focused on ordinary people and rural landscapes. In 1902, he told the Dunedin Christmas Annual, “The simple pastoral landscape is to me much more beautiful than our grandest scenes. It is the quieter beauty which is within the reach of everyone and yet is seen by so few.”

The art society's collection continued to grow, particularly at the public celebration of James Craigie’s retirement in 1912. At that event, he was presented with a £200 cheque from Mr. and Mrs. George Wells, to be used for purchasing artworks for the society’s budding collection. Craigie acted as trustee of the fund, and with it, the society purchased a total of 15 paintings by artists such as George Knowles, Walter Bishop, Achille Buzzi, and Willard Paddock.

One of the paintings purchased with these funds (alongside public subscription) was a large watercolour by Lexington Pocock. This work is also on display in the gallery around the corner. Pocock, born and based in London, studied at the Slade School of Art and the Royal Academy of Arts. He also taught in Rome and exhibited at the Royal Academy. His painting Dangerous Documents is set during the English Civil War (1642–1651), between Royalists (Cavaliers) and the Parliamentary forces (Roundheads).

In Dangerous Documents, a young couple is poised beside a pond, seemingly ready to drop a bundle of secret papers tied to a stone into the water. Judging from their elaborate dress—especially the woman’s rich purple gown—they are likely wealthy Royalist landowners. In the distance, Roundhead soldiers are visible on horseback, their presence hinted at by the smouldering buildings in the upper-left of the painting. The scene is charged with drama: one whispered warning or a tap of the woman's hand will send the incriminating documents to their watery grave.

This painting has often been compared to an earlier work by John Everett Millais, A Huguenot on St. Bartholomew’s Day (1852), which also shows a couple in a moment of emotional tension and historical peril. In both works, the women wear purple dresses, hinting at danger and deepening the visual symbolism.

The art society’s efforts came to fruition in June 1914, when the collection finally gained a temporary home. The “Long Room” of the public library was fitted to permanently display the South Canterbury art collection. This space was located upstairs in the newly extended municipal chambers. At the opening event, Craigie—then president of the art society—described the moment as a milestone for Timaru. The occasion was particularly significant for him, as he had negotiated the purchase of the land for the municipal chambers with the hope it might one day house an art gallery.

During his speech, Craigie announced he would donate two more paintings to the civic collection: Charles Frederick Goldie’s Memories: The Last of Her Tribe and The Mother by British artist Thomas Benjamin Kennington.

Kennington was academically trained, having studied at the Liverpool School of Art, the Royal College of Art, and the Académie Julian in Paris. Many of his paintings were narrative works that explored moral themes. Often painting as a social realist, he depicted the lives of the poor in London. But The Mother is a celebration of family values and the central role of a woman in family life. It’s notable that the artist’s own wife, Elsie, died at age 34 in 1895—the same year the painting was completed—and they had children together.

In The Mother, the woman’s left hand—bathed in light and displaying a wedding ring—is positioned near the centre of the painting, signifying the importance of marriage. The lamp or candle she holds symbolises her essence and nurturing influence. Her light illuminates the bed where her children sleep, representing her warmth and protective presence. Both Dangerous Documents and The Mother had been exhibited at the Royal Academy, making them ideal acquisitions according to the Society’s original vision.

The temporary gallery in the Long Room lasted nine years, until 1923. At that point, the space was required for a children’s library, and the South Canterbury Art Society collection was relocated to a smaller room on the ground floor. This room had recently been redecorated by the Council for the purpose. Around the same time, in 1920, the activities of the Art Society ceased, although the group remained socially active in the community.

By the 1930s, some paintings—like the Goldie—were displayed again, hung above the library shelves. However, for the most part, the collection remained in library storage until the arrival of the Grant family, who would play a transformative role in the gallery’s future.

Helen and Alexander Grant had a Queen Anne Revival-style Edwardian house built on Wai-iti Road, Timaru, as their retirement residence, after moving into town from their farm at Gray Hills Station in Burke’s Pass. Alexander had run the station from 1881 until 1910. They had three children: James, Jessie, and a younger Alexander, who tragically died at the age of 10 in 1893.

Both Alexander and Helen were born in Scotland and emigrated to New Zealand in 1861—Alexander arriving in Lyttelton and Helen at Port Chalmers. They married in Dunedin in 1878. Their son James partnered with his father in managing Gray Hills Station and took full ownership in 1910. He later married Lorna Guthrie in 1916 and remained on the farm until 1948, after which he bought a property in Timaru called The Croft, which he would later bequeath to the Presbyterian Social Services Association as an aged care home in 1972.

In 1903, Alexander Grant bought land on the eastern side of what was then the northern cemetery reserve of Timaru. Located on the crest of Māori Hill, it offered a beautiful view over Caroline Bay. Construction of the Grant’s retirement residence began in 1904 and was completed in 1905. The house is believed to have been designed by Timaru architect James S. Turnbull, known for incorporating Arts and Crafts movement influences. The home received its name—Aigantighe—from Helen’s family estate in Edinburgh. In Scots Gaelic, “Aigantighe” means “home of welcome” or “welcome to our home.”

We believe this portrait of Helen Grant—painted by Archibald Nicoll—dates to around 1940, when she would have been in her eighties. Nicoll was one of New Zealand’s leading portrait and landscape artists of the early 20th century and a major figure in arts education. He taught at Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland, studied in Europe, and served in WWI, where he lost a leg. He later became director of the Canterbury College School of Art. The Grant family likely commissioned this portrait as an act of honour, celebrating Helen’s important place in Timaru society.

Now we move on to Alexander and Helen’s daughter, Jessie Grant—later known as Jessie Wigley—whom I would describe as the lady behind the Aigantighe Art Gallery. Jessie moved into the new Wai-iti Road house before her family. She was just 22 when she took on the responsibility of decorating its interior. Creative and practical, Jessie channelled her energy into carving wooden furniture to complement pieces ordered from Glasgow. She chose wallpapers, and sewed bedspreads and curtains from both silk and muslin. After several months of preparation, the family moved into the completed home in June 1905.

Jessie lived at Aigantighe House until she married in 1910—slightly later than was typical for women of her time. She was 27. In this photo, she is about 26 years old. After marrying local tourism entrepreneur Rudolf Wigley, Jessie moved to Fairlie in 1916. Together, they had six children.

Jessie Wigley was also an accomplished artist. The gallery holds seven of her paintings in its permanent collection. Five were gifted by her daughters, Hester Wigley and Margaret Parker—including Edinburgh from Carlton Hill, which was donated by Margaret in 1980. This watercolour captures the popular panoramic view of Edinburgh, Scotland, and reflects Jessie’s connection to her maternal roots. It is hazy, almost translucent, with a shimmering, dreamlike quality—an iconic memory of place rather than a strict representation.

Jessie had been passionate about art from a young age. She took lessons with artists like William Greene and Cecil and Elizabeth Kelly. She painted in both oils and watercolours and is said to have completed around 400 landscapes during her lifetime. She also carved wood, wrote plays, sang, and had a strong design sense. Notably, she designed the Mount Cook lily emblem for the Mount Cook Motor Company, which was owned by her husband.

We know Jessie travelled to Europe multiple times—most likely in 1909, 1951, and 1956. It’s likely this painting was made during her 1951 trip with her daughter Hester. The artwork, with its serene skies and stylised buildings, including the outline of Edinburgh Castle and the Balmoral Hotel clock tower, evokes both nostalgia and celebration of heritage.

Wigley exhibited her work with the Canterbury Society of Arts and the Auckland Art Society and was a member of the South Canterbury Art Society. In fact, she became a vital patron for the arts in South Canterbury. When the Society’s activities faded in the 1920s, Jessie, alongside Ainsley Manson, helped revive it in 1951 under a new name—the South Canterbury Arts Club. Their goal was to gather a younger membership to reinvigorate the organisation. By 1953, the South Canterbury Arts Society had been formally re-established, holding its first annual exhibition in 1954.

The Grant family lived at Aigantighe House for 50 years. After Alexander passed away in 1920 at the age of 89, Helen continued to live in the home until her death in 1955—at the remarkable age of 101. Deeply involved in the South Canterbury Art Society, Jessie Wigley fully understood the district’s need for a public art gallery. She and her brother James Grant would go on to fulfil the society’s original dream. Together, they gifted the Aigantighe House and its gardens to become an art gallery for the people of South Canterbury.

In October 1955, James Grant officially transferred the property—having inherited it earlier that year—to the care of the Timaru District Council, to be held in perpetuity for the use and benefit of the citizens of Timaru and its visitors. In March 1957, he also gifted additional land on the eastern boundary of the property to preserve three lime trees that still stand today.

The transformation of the Aigantighe House into an art gallery was overseen by a renovation committee and the Council. This volunteer committee included key figures like Kay Billings, Jessie Wigley, Clifford Brunton, and Ainsley Manson. Together, they redecorated the building, installed shelving and lighting, and prepared the space over the course of several months.

On 16 August 1956, the Governor-General Sir Willoughby Norrie and Lady Norrie officially opened the Aigantighe as a public art gallery. A crowd of around 200 attended the event, including Mayor R.E. White, the Town Clerk, City Councillors, and people from across South Canterbury. Lady Norrie planted a magnolia tree in the garden to commemorate the occasion.

The inaugural exhibition featured works by artists from South Canterbury and around New Zealand, alongside pieces from the Art Society’s historic collection. Artworks were loaned by local and nationally connected artists such as William Greene, Albert J. Rae, Elizabeth Kelly, Mabel Hill, and Olivia Spencer Bower. According to the Timaru Herald, six artworks on display in the drawing room belonged to the Grant family.

Thus, the long-held dream of James Craigie and the South Canterbury Art Society was finally realised. The Art Society's collection was officially gifted to the new public gallery. Mayor R.E. White told the Herald of their surprise at discovering what had been stored all along in the basement of the public library: “We were amazed when we found just what we had… The paintings were dusted off, and it was a surprise to realise that the gallery already had a nucleus of a permanent collection worth £3,000.”

Before the opening, Clifford Brunton—who became the gallery’s first director—was tasked with retouching and reframing the collection. In addition to the artworks, the Art Society gifted £100 toward the cost of renovations. When the collection was brought together in 1956, 84 artworks were accessioned into the gallery’s logbook. Of those, 82—97%—came from the South Canterbury Art Society. These included 15 works from the Wells Collection, 5 from James Craigie, and several from figures such as Mr. and Mrs. Hope, Randolph Holmes, and P.W. Rule, a former secretary of the Art Society.

One work gifted by Mr. Rule was a watercolour by Frances Hodgkins. Though a bit hard to see in the reproduction, this large watercolour is by one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed expatriate artists. Hodgkins had a 50-year career and was known for evolving from Impressionist watercolours to bold Modernist works. Born in Dunedin, she came from an artistic family—her father, William Hodgkins, was a landscape painter, president of the Otago Art Society, and a founder of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.

In her twenties, Frances Hodgkins studied under Italian portraitist Girolamo Nerli, moving away from landscapes to focus on the human figure. Before departing New Zealand in 1901, she became especially interested in depicting Māori subjects—particularly Māori women. Her works from this time were painted outdoors, using the “wet-on-wet” watercolour technique. The delicate layering of colour and quick brushwork gives this particular subject—a young Māori woman—an atmospheric, shimmering quality, as if she is subtly in motion before our eyes.

The Grants, Wigleys, and their extended families would go on to make further contributions to the Aigantighe Art Gallery. Over time, they donated a total of 59 objects—either artworks or period items—to help tell the story of the house and its former residents. In the 1960s and 70s, James and Lorna Grant donated their personal art collection to the gallery, adding 27 works by artists such as Charles Goldie, William Greene, Esther Hope, James Guthrie, and John Gully.

When Ainsley Manson was gallery director, he curated a special exhibition in June 1972 featuring works from the Grant and Wigley families. Drawing from 45 artworks held in the gallery’s permanent collection, he wrote an accompanying article in the Timaru Herald, stating that the family had “maintained a lifelong and active interest in the arts,” and that South Canterbury was “the richer for their public-spirited generosity.” He described their contributions as forming a collection “of undoubted distinction and historic depth” to be treasured as part of the civic legacy.

From 1958 through the late 1960s, Jessie Wigley’s private collection also entered the permanent collection. These included some of the gallery’s most admired works by British and Italian artists—Henry John Yeend King, Marcella Smith, William Wyllie, Giuseppe Gambarini, and Lucy Kemp-Welch.

Kemp-Welch’s painting The Wanderers, for instance, shows a white mare and her foal resting after a day’s journey. The mare has been unhitched from the wagon in the background and now grazes freely in lush grass. Kemp-Welch was known for painting horses in action—ploughing, in warfare, or in movement—but this scene captures them at rest, bathed in warm afternoon light dappling through the trees. Her work celebrates not just their strength, but their tenderness and calm.

After the opening of the Aigantighe Gallery and gardens, a 73-year-old Jessie Wigley embarked on what she called a “sketching tour” of Britain, Spain, Italy, and Holland—travelling by Dormobile van with her daughter. Surely, she would have felt satisfied with what had been accomplished.

Clifford Brunton, a local artist and the gallery’s first director, had deep roots in Timaru. He attended Timaru Boys’ High School and was taught by local artist Albert J. Rae. After high school, he studied at various institutions across Christchurch, Auckland, and Wellington. In 1936, he travelled to Europe and Britain, visiting major public galleries and absorbing the influence of modern and classic painters. Inspired by these encounters, Brunton experimented with abstraction, producing works with a Cubist influence—reminiscent of Picasso’s later pieces.

One of his paintings, Automation, is a brightly coloured composition resembling a fragmented collage. The overlapping shapes are reorganised into a unified image, reflecting his interest in breaking things down and rebuilding them anew. It encourages us to see the world in unfamiliar ways.

Brunton was appointed director of the Aigantighe in 1956. His combination of international art experience, academic training, and local connections made him an ideal candidate. The gallery’s early years under his leadership were an outstanding success—attracting 4,000 visitors in its first six months, and 300 in a single weekend.

During Brunton’s time, the gallery was open every day except Mondays and Fridays, from 2:00–4:30 p.m. He hosted tours and lectures and, reportedly, even lived on site in a self-contained flat upstairs—possibly for security. As director, he also handled the day-to-day operations, sharing his passion for art with the community.

As early as 1958, concerns arose that the Aigantighe Art Gallery would soon need to be expanded to better fulfil its purpose. Although the Timaru Council wouldn’t begin actively investigating improvements until 1962, discussions about space limitations had already begun. That same year—1958—George S. Jones (also known as George Civic Jones) made a significant contribution of £1,500 toward a future extension. In 1964, James Grant also donated £2,000, specifically earmarked for the same purpose.

James Grant explained his concern that there simply wasn’t enough wall space to exhibit the growing permanent collection. In response, Mayor C.E. Thompson assured him the Aigantighe would be well cared for in the years to come, describing the building and surrounding gardens as “a living tribute to a community-minded family.”

George Civic Jones’s contribution was just the beginning of his remarkable legacy. A Christchurch optometrist with family ties to Timaru, Jones was a committed supporter of the arts. His connections to the community, combined with a personal passion for art, led to both a one-time gift in the 1950s and a substantial bequest after his death in 1961. All of his donated funds were to be used exclusively to purchase artworks for the gallery’s permanent collection. The Civic Jones Bequest remains active to this day—by the end of 2019, it had enabled the purchase of 291 artworks.

Clifford Brunton passed away unexpectedly in 1969. As he had a fondness for cacti, a memorial cactus garden was planted in the gallery grounds in his honour. A retrospective exhibition of his work was held at the Aigantighe in 1971.

Ainsley Manson, who had reportedly been Brunton’s assistant, became the next gallery director in 1970. Interestingly, records also show a previously little-known figure—Mrs. Olive Scott—held the role of gallery supervisor between 1969 and 1970. This was a recent discovery, adding a new piece to the gallery’s leadership history.

Manson was born in Canterbury and began studying at the Canterbury School of Fine Arts, but had to interrupt his education to serve with the New Zealand Army in World War II, including tours in Italy and the Pacific Islands. He returned to Timaru in 1947 and later taught art at Timaru College for 27 years, where he became head of the art department. A former president of the South Canterbury Art Society, he initially served as part-time director of the gallery while still teaching, becoming full-time in 1974.

While Manson worked, his wife Shirley assisted him—opening the gallery, managing administration, and ensuring it remained welcoming to the public.

In 1963, the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council (later Creative New Zealand) had launched a national gallery purchase subsidy scheme. It offered to match gallery funds dollar-for-dollar to support the acquisition of artworks by New Zealand artists. Manson made full use of this initiative—one notable acquisition was Christine in the Pantry by Jacqueline Fahey, purchased with help from both the QEII subsidy and the Civic Jones Bequest.

Jacqueline Fahey, born in Timaru in 1929, was a fitting addition to the gallery’s permanent collection. She studied at the Canterbury School of Fine Arts and graduated in 1952 under tutors like William Sutton and Russell Clark. After a break from painting in the 1950s to support her psychologist husband and raise their children, Fahey returned to painting in the 1960s. Her works focused on domestic life—celebrating the unseen and undervalued labour of women in the home.

By the 1970s, she was among a number of New Zealand artists challenging traditional ideas about what constituted a “serious” subject for art. Rather than idealising the domestic, Fahey exposed its chaos and contradictions—she made it visible and valid. Her painting Christine in the Pantry captures a young family friend caught by Fahey mid-movement, hiding in the pantry, partially camouflaged among bright, cluttered domestic items. Christine, colourfully dressed—perhaps rebelliously so—was, according to her parents, dressed “radically.”

The pantry door half-obscures her, the scene filled with drying tea towels, open drawers, and stacked dishes. My manager, Cara Fitzgerald, wrote about this painting during a nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, noting that it felt poignantly relevant: a dynamic, lived-in space rather than a Pinterest-perfect one. Like Christine, many of us had been confined to our homes, surrounded by the familiar chaos of daily life, tentatively re-emerging into the world.

Alongside the Civic Jones Bequest, another important fund was the Valentines Bequest of 1956—also dedicated to purchasing artworks. By the 1970s, these two sources provided around $1,000 a year for acquisitions, which began to outpace the gallery’s physical storage capacity. Though architectural plans for an extension had been drawn up in 1967 and again in 1973, no action was taken.

Finally, in 1975, local architect Ronald Doig—then president of the South Canterbury Art Society—was appointed to design the gallery’s long-needed extension. However, this step followed a moment of real jeopardy: in 1974, the Council had considered demolishing the Aigantighe altogether, citing the high cost of maintenance and its limitations as a gallery. Another proposal—to restore the building as a colonial house museum—was also rejected.

Manson, determined to save and expand the gallery, proposed the creation of a community support group. In 1975, he encouraged the Council’s Art Gallery Committee to consider forming a group to run social events and fundraise for the gallery. He suggested the name “Friends of the Aigantighe Art Gallery.” The idea was to cultivate interest, support, and investment from the wider community.

The Friends Committee was officially formed in July 1976. Its first president, Dr. Evan McKenzie, called publicly for supporters, stating in the Herald: “We are not entitled to an art gallery if we are not prepared to support it.” He described the Friends as a citizen support group, continuing the legacy of figures like James Craigie, the Grants, George Civic Jones, and the Valentines.

The Friends took on a wide range of responsibilities—assisting with exhibition openings, fundraising for acquisitions and gallery improvements, and helping provide amenities. As a registered charity, they could also accept grants and bequests on the gallery’s behalf.

The Friends of the Aigantighe quickly became a vital force. In 1980, they launched a campaign to gain support from local businesses for the conservation of the gallery’s growing collection. That same year, in collaboration with the Timaru City Council and the Timaru Orchestra, they also provided a stereo system and 50 chairs—helping the gallery host more public events. Then, in 1987, the Friends supplied the Yamaha grand piano still in use at the gallery today. This was made possible through Mrs. Betty Manning and Mr. Stephen Newman of Newman’s Pianos.

The gallery extension was planned for the eastern side of the original building—on what had been the rose garden. Ronald Doig’s plans included a large new exhibition space, an entrance foyer, reception area, director’s office, workshop, loading bay, and dedicated storage space. There was also provision for a sculpture court. The roof of the new wing was tiled to match the Aigantighe house, and the floors were covered in cork tiles. Doig designed the addition to harmonise with the character of the original home. Construction was undertaken by Hall & Duncan Ltd, and began in 1977.

Funding came from a variety of sources: the Civic Jones Trust, James Grant, the Timaru District Council, the South Canterbury Concert Chamber Association, and a grant from the Department of Internal Affairs. The 385-square-metre extension opened to the public on Saturday, 9 September 1978 at 2:30 p.m. Mayor S.R. Bennett welcomed guests, and the wing was officially opened by Sir Henry Wigley—grandson of Helen and Alexander Grant, and son of Jessie Wigley.

The inaugural exhibition in the new space was a retrospective of the Kelliher Art Awards. Displayed in what we now call the Main Gallery, this exhibition featured 65 paintings that had won major prizes during the 21 years of the competition (1956–1977). It proved extremely popular—Ainsley Manson reported that 4,500 people came to view it.

One of the most distinctive architectural additions was the classical replica archway, which symbolically marked the new entrance to the modern wing. In December 1978, Ronald Doig received a Bronze Award from the New Zealand Institute of Architects for his design work. Later, he and his wife Wendy would also gift their extensive private art collection to the gallery. Wendy became a long-term gallery volunteer as well.

To commemorate the new extension, the Friends commissioned a bronze sculpture by Francis Shurrock, a key figure in New Zealand sculpture. Born in Lancashire, England, Shurrock studied at Chester School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London. After serving in World War I, he moved to New Zealand and became Head of Sculpture at Canterbury College School of Art in 1924, teaching for 24 years. Among his students were Rita Angus, Alison Duff, Toss Woollaston, Bill Sutton, and Austin Deans.

Shurrock passed away in 1977. The Friends borrowed a plaster cast of Study from Life from F.C.W. Storm of Dunedin, and had it cast in bronze at a foundry in Melbourne, run by Vittorio Fernando. The 85-centimetre sculpture was freighted back to Timaru and arrived just one week before the gallery extension opened.

Manson reported that the gallery had 1,800 visitors in the first 10 days following the extension’s opening. Visitor numbers for the year 1978–1979 reached 20,000—double what they had been previously. By 1980, the permanent collection had grown to 630 objects, the Friends group had 600 members, and the gallery was welcoming around 350 visitors each week.

Among the key acquisitions during this period was Green Autumn, Tahanga by Don Binney, purchased by Ainsley Manson using funds from the Civic Jones Trust and the QEII Arts Council. Binney’s paintings are among the most recognisable and iconic in New Zealand art. Born in Auckland in 1940, he was the nephew of prominent architect Roy Binney. He grew up in Parnell and studied at Elam School of Fine Arts from 1958 to 1961. In 1967, he received a QEII Arts Council travel fellowship, allowing him to spend time in Mexico, London, and Australia, before returning to New Zealand to become a senior lecturer at Elam, a role he held from 1979 to 1998.

Binney was deeply interested in the relationship between land and its inhabitants, and was a passionate advocate for conservation. He frequently returned to coastal sites like Tahanga in his paintings, beginning in the early 1960s. In Green Autumn, Tahanga, the viewer sees both a powerful landscape and the bird life that inhabits it—specifically the koekoeā, or long-tailed cuckoo. A keen ornithologist, Binney was very particular about accurately portraying bird species, understanding that each one played a unique role in New Zealand’s ecological balance.

Binney’s works often featured windswept headlands and birds suspended mid-flight, rendered in a crisp, graphic style. Valerie Murrow, writing in The Bulletin from Christchurch Art Gallery, quoted Binney: “There is a physical resonance between one shape and the other… I have always been thoroughly involved in the way in which the land—the environment the creature lives in—modifies the creature. The creature, of course, also modifies the land. It is symbiosis.”

In Green Autumn, Tahanga, the inclusion of a human figure reminds us that humankind, too, is part of this ecological balance.

After 12 years as director, Ainsley Manson retired in 1982. His departure gave the Council time to search for a replacement. Manson had been a pivotal figure at the Aigantighe. He spearheaded the formation of the Friends group and oversaw the gallery’s major extension. Stories circulated of his deep devotion—like the time he slept in the gallery for three weeks during a major exhibition featuring works by Goldie and Lindauer.

Manson retired to focus on his own art practice. Reflecting on his time, he described it to the Herald as a “pioneering period” with limited staff and a rush behind the scenes to unpack and hang visiting exhibitions.

In March 1982, Graeme Sanders was appointed the new director of the Aigantighe Art Gallery. He officially began in April of that year. Sanders sought to move the gallery beyond what Manson had described as its “pioneering period.” During his tenure, the gallery expanded its staff, catalogued the collection more systematically, and focused heavily on the care and preservation of works—especially works on paper.

Sanders came to Timaru from Christchurch. He had studied printmaking and, in the mid-1970s, taught full-time at Mairehau High School and later at St. Margaret’s College. He also owned two print-dealer galleries—The Print Studio and The Imprint. With this background, Sanders had a clear vision: he wanted the Aigantighe to become a national repository for printmaking.

In June 1982, he told the Timaru Herald that he hoped to build a collection of several thousand prints. He began by asking New Zealand printmakers to each donate a print to establish a core collection. Like his predecessors, Sanders gave public lectures—focusing especially on the history of printmaking and art more broadly.

He also extended the gallery’s opening hours. Under Manson, the hours had largely remained the same as during Brunton’s time: open daily (except Mondays and Fridays) from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. Sanders adjusted these to open earlier at 1:00 p.m., believing it would allow more people to visit during their lunch breaks.

Sanders’ special interest in works on paper led to a major conservation initiative. The Friends of the Aigantighe purchased 22 cylinder boxes in varying sizes and donated over $5,000 toward the professional preservation of works in the collection. This emphasis on proper care coincided with increasing national awareness of the risks that environmental factors posed to artworks.

In 1983, it was discovered that ultraviolet (UV) light coming through the windows of the Aigantighe House, the bay windows of the main gallery space, and the octagon posed a serious threat to the collection. As a result, UV-filtering screens were installed on all vulnerable windows. Thermal curtains were also added to the bay windows of the main exhibition space—important steps that honoured Ronald Doig’s original architectural intentions.

Later that same year, the gallery received another significant bequest. In August 1983, William Arthur Lattimore left a generous sum to the Aigantighe. The Council’s Cultural Committee recommended that the interest from this fund be used to purchase artworks for the permanent collection. Like the Civic Jones and Valentines bequests, the Lattimore Fund is still in use today. By the end of 2019, 149 artworks had been purchased using the fund.

Despite his ambitious plans, Sanders resigned in December 1983—after only 20 months in the role—due to health and personal reasons.

After Graeme Sanders’ departure, Meg Parkin—who had joined the Aigantighe in August 1982 as Exhibition Officer—was appointed acting director, and then officially became director in May 1984.

Parkin brought both artistic and international experience to the role. She held a Diploma in Fine Arts (Painting) from Elam and had travelled widely in the 1970s, living in Australia, England, Switzerland, and Spain. While in Barcelona, she launched a textile business with a friend. Upon returning to New Zealand, she settled in Christchurch and worked as a carpet designer. After marrying, she moved to Timaru in 1975 and taught part-time at Timaru College and Timaru Girls’ High School. She was also active in the South Canterbury Drama League, designing theatre sets. An accomplished artist in her own right, she was a member of the South Canterbury Pottery Society and known for her unique wall hangings and rug designs.

One of Parkin’s early purchases as director was Hannah on a Rocking Horse by Philip Trusttum. This work was acquired using the Lattimore Bequest and QEII Arts Council support. Trusttum, a neo-expressionist painter known for his energetic and unorthodox mark-making, had studied at the University of Canterbury from 1961 to 1964 under Rudolf Gopas. He was influenced by artists such as Paul Klee, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, and Wassily Kandinsky.

Trusttum had received multiple QEII Arts Council grants, which allowed him to travel and exhibit internationally. He was known for his process-driven painting style, using everything from brushes and brooms to the soles of his shoes—and even his hands—to make marks on the canvas. He worked flat on the floor in a manner reminiscent of Jackson Pollock. Trusttum painted what surrounded him: his family, home, and everyday life. Hannah on a Rocking Horse is one of many works he created in the early 1970s based on his children and their toys.

The painting is filled with motion and colour, showing his daughter Hannah mid-rock—either forward or back—in a swirl of limbs, toy parts, and patterned carpet. Her expression is intense with joy and determination. Bill Milbank once said Trusttum’s art reflects “an integration of living and art-making.” His works are not about events themselves, but about his experience of them. The painting’s energy and rhythm almost make it audible—one can imagine Hannah’s laughter and the rocking horse scraping against the floor.

Returning to Parkin’s vision: she understood the meaning of the gallery’s name—Aigantighe, “home of welcome”—and wanted visitors to feel at home. She sought to make the gallery more inclusive and accessible. She curated exhibitions she believed were approachable and enjoyable. She also developed new education programmes for schools and extended the gallery’s opening hours. By 1986, the gallery opened at 11:00 a.m.—an earlier start that invited more daytime visitors.

Continuing the vision initiated by Ronald Doig and Ainsley Manson for a sculpture court and garden, Meg Parkin began work to acquire outdoor sculptures for the gallery. In October 1987, the Friends of the Aigantighe helped fundraise by hosting a garden party—an event attended by 500 people. A variety of stalls showcased work by local creative groups including the South Canterbury Pottery Society, the South Canterbury Art Society, and the Timaru and Aorangi Embroiderers’ Guilds.

Momentum for the sculpture garden grew further in 1990, when the Aigantighe was chosen as the display site for sculptures from the International Stone Carving Symposium held at Mt. Somers, South Canterbury. Thirteen sculptures, carved from Mt. Somers stone by artists such as Dan Dihar, Darcy Nicholas, Baknin, and Atsuo Okamoto, were gifted to the nation and installed in the Aigantighe Art Garden.

Also in 1990, Parkin and her team, working with the South Canterbury Art Society, curated a retrospective exhibition of South Canterbury artists. Displayed from February to March 1990, the exhibition included 94 artworks and was accompanied by a detailed catalogue publication with artist biographies. This catalogue remains a valuable resource used by the gallery to this day.

By 1994, the permanent collection had reached 1,000 items. The most urgent development now needed was a purpose-built storage facility. Parkin had reportedly been trying to secure this addition for five years. Plans for the new, climate-controlled store included a 71-square-metre space and two offices for gallery staff. Once again, Ronald Doig—architect of the 1978 extension—was brought in to design the new addition. The extension was to be located at the front of the building, near the former service entrance of the Aigantighe House.

Funding was sourced from multiple avenues: the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board, the Trust Bank South Canterbury Community Trust, the Friends of the Aigantighe, and the Timaru District Council. Construction began in June 1994 and was completed in May 1995. The new addition provided essential separation between front-of-house and back-of-house operations and significantly improved the care and preservation of the gallery’s growing collection.

At this time, Parkin also introduced the gallery’s volunteer front desk system. This involved a roster of community volunteers who took care of reception duties, fielded enquiries, managed sales, and contributed to gallery security. The system ran for 24 years, with volunteers offering half-day shifts—morning and afternoon—to cover the full week. Many generous individuals donated their time over the years, including Wendy Doig, who faithfully volunteered one day a week for over a decade.

The new painting store extension was officially opened by Mayor Wyn Raymond on 17 May 1995 and opened to the public the following day for viewing.

Before her resignation in June 1996, Meg Parkin curated a special exhibition of artworks by Jessie Wigley to mark the Aigantighe’s ruby anniversary. Her extensive research for this exhibition—which included many letters exchanged with members of the Wigley family—provided valuable biographical insights. Much of the information presented earlier in this talk about Jessie Wigley came from Parkin’s work during this time.

The final artwork highlighted in the timeline is Daisy La Cream Series: Numbers 9 to 12 by Colin McCahon. These four panels, painted in 1976, were gifted to the gallery in 1999 by Betty Cuno (née La Cream), a friend of McCahon and an artist herself. She grew up in Timaru, and McCahon created the Daisy La Cream series in memory of her mother, Daisy.

McCahon, born in Timaru in 1919, later moved to Dunedin and studied at the Dunedin School of Art in the 1930s. He married Anne Hamblett in 1942 and eventually settled in Titirangi, Auckland, before moving to Muriwai in 1969, where he built a large studio. There, he painted some of his most ambitious large-scale works, including Victory Over Death 2 (1970), which is now housed in the National Gallery of Australia.

McCahon’s Muriwai paintings were often inspired by the local landscape—its cliffs, offshore islands, and beaches. In the early 1970s, he experienced the loss of several close friends and family members, including poet James K. Baxter, his mother Ethel, and patron Charles Brasch. These losses prompted a series of memorial paintings, many referencing Māori spiritual beliefs about the journey of the soul after death—northward along the coast to Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga), where spirits leap into the afterlife.

The Daisy La Cream series is part of that spiritual landscape. Each of the four acrylic panels features stark contrasts of ochre, black, and yellow. They depict simplified landscapes—land, sea, and sky—that suggest the glowing light of a setting sun or a spirit departing. In the final panel, the landform morphs into a stylised headstone bearing the inscription “In memory of Daisy La Cream,” linking the work to grief, transition, and spiritual journey.

In conclusion, as the home of visual art in South Canterbury—with a permanent collection of over 1,800 artworks—the Aigantighe Art Gallery is a legacy built by its community. From the South Canterbury Art Society’s early vision and collection-building to the philanthropic gifts of the Grant and Wigley families, and from bequests like those of George Civic Jones, the Valentines, and William Lattimore to the steadfast efforts of directors like Brunton, Manson, Sanders, and Parkin—the gallery is the product of extraordinary generosity and devotion.

Equally vital have been the Friends of the Aigantighe, volunteers, council staff, and artists. Their shared belief in the gallery’s cultural role has shaped it into a vibrant, welcoming space. The Aigantighe Art Gallery truly is by the community and for the community.

Ngā mihi nui, and thank you.

Major Legacy Gifts and Bequests to the Aigantighe Art Gallery

South Canterbury Art Society

Formed in 1895, promoted the establishment of a civic art collection.
Initiated the first acquisitions in 1910 and supported the idea of a public gallery.
Donated 82 artworks (97% of the founding collection) upon the gallery’s opening in 1956.
Maintained and preserved newspaper cuttings and archives, later gifted to the gallery.
Instrumental in reviving the society in 1953 (led by Jessie Wigley and Ainsley Manson).

James Craigie (Mayor of Timaru, 1902–1912)

Gifted the first civic artwork in 1910 (Scene in Surrey by William Greene).
Supported the establishment of a public art gallery and served as art society president.
Donated 5 artworks to the permanent collection.
Helped secure land for the municipal chambers where early exhibitions were held.

Mr. & Mrs. George Wells

Donated £200 in 1912 for the purchase of artworks.
Enabled the acquisition of 15 paintings for the civic collection.

The Grant and Wigley Families

Helen and Alexander Grant built Aigantighe House in 1905.
Their son and daughter, James Grant and Jessie Wigley, gifted the house and gardens to the Timaru District Council in 1955 for use as a public art gallery.
James also donated additional land in 1957 to preserve lime trees on the property.
Jessie Wigley was a lifelong arts patron and artist; gifted 7 of her own paintings.
Revived the South Canterbury Art Society in 1951.
Family donated 59 objects, including period furnishings and artworks.
James Grant donated £2,000 in 1964 toward a future gallery extension.
Donated personal art collection with 27 significant works (e.g., Goldie, Greene, Gully).

George Civic Jones

Christchurch optometrist and major benefactor.
£1,500 gifted in 1958 toward future gallery extensions.
Left a substantial bequest upon his death in 1961.
Funds still in use today; by 2019, enabled the purchase of 291 artworks.

The Valentines Family (1956)

Bequest for purchasing artworks for the permanent collection.
Together with Civic Jones’ fund, provided around $1,000/year for acquisitions during the 1970s.

William Arthur Lattimore (1983)

Bequeathed a substantial fund to the gallery.
Funds restricted to art purchases from the generated interest.
Still in use; by 2019, enabled acquisition of 149 artworks.

The Friends of the Aigantighe Art Gallery (Established 1976)

Fundraised for multiple projects and equipment.
Gallery extension (1978).
Stereo system and 50 chairs (1980).
Yamaha grand piano (1987) from Betty Manning and Stephen Newman.
Sculpture Garden fundraising via garden parties.
Commissioned bronze sculpture by Francis Shurrock for 1978 opening.
Supported professional conservation and UV-filtering upgrades.
Provided administrative and reception volunteer support for 24 years.

Ronald and Wendy Doig

Architect of the 1978 gallery extension and 1994 storage addition.
Donated their private art collection (began entering collection in 1988).
Wendy Doig was a long-time volunteer, serving at the gallery for over a decade.