The marshy area William Gibb painted in the Ōtautahi Christchurch suburb of Burwood is part of what was once an extensive network of wetlands known as Ōruapaeroa. It was a place for gathering plants, birds and fish and once opened to the sea so that even sharks could be caught when the seasonal tides allowed. Māori asked that the ancient pā site there be excluded from Kemp’s Purchase, the government’s forced purchase of huge areas of Kāi Tahu land, when it was drawn up in 1848, but this did not happen. Whare stood in the area until 1862, when they were burnt down after a European settler obtained a Crown grant for the land. The Ōruapaeroa Travis Wetland was narrowly saved from development in 1996. Now, it is the last remaining large freshwater wetland in Ōtautahi and a vital habitat for native birds and plants.

Kāi Tahu ~ tribal group of much of Te Waipounamu South Island

pā ~ fortified village

whare ~ houses

He Kapuka Oneone – A Handful of Soil (from August 2024)