This early view of Akaroa, painted outdoors, highlights Thomas Cane’s technical ability in faithfully capturing the subject before him. The scene has been carefully drawn in pencil, over which layers of watercolour washes have been added. As well as painting, Cane also worked as an architect and designed several key buildings on Banks Peninsula, including the Timeball Station in Lyttelton. The majority of his landscapes are Banks Peninsula scenes. Cane was born in Brighton, England, and trained as an architect under Gilbert Scott. He arrived in Christchurch in 1874 and was Canterbury Provincial Architect from 1875 until the abolition of the provinces in 1876. He then went into private practice. Cane exhibited at the first Canterbury Society of Arts annual exhibition in 1881 and continued to exhibit with the society through to 1900.