Robley; Te Ropere — The Space Between Part of Friends of the Turnbull Public Programme — 2026 series
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In this presentation, Tim Walker will assess the legacy of British officer and collector Horatio Gordon Robley.
Join us at the Library or online. Register for a Zoom link: https://dia-nz.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MS2fOWa4TU-pKc3xtUqtxA#/registration
The changing legacy of Te Ropere
Horatio Gordon Robley’s association with mokamokai (preserved heads of Māori bearing moko mataora) has defined how he has been seen for over a century — by Britons, Pākehā and Māori. Unsurprisingly, this association has seen him vilified by many.
Tim Walker has been studying Robley, also known as Te Ropere, since 1979, initially for a MA thesis. Robley’s many letters and watercolours held by the Alexander Turnbull Library have been at the centre of Walker’s work, as have his close relationships with Robley’s Māori descendants.
Three key moments
In this talk, Tim will reflect on a series of ‘spaces between’ perspectives of Robley, and will focus on three key moments in time:
1864 Tauranga; as a young British officer at Gate Pā and subsequently at the kāinga of Matapihi, where he became the partner of the Ngāti Tapu chieftainess Harete Mauao and father to their son Hamiora Tū Ropere, and
1896 London; as the researcher, collector and author of Moko; or Māori Tattooing, and
2026 Whanganui; the application of a moko mataora on his great-great-grandson, by the kaitā Rangitākuku Kaihoro, an advocate of Robley’s mahi.
Tim will be presenting in partnership with the mokopuna (descendants) of Robley.
About the speaker
Tim Walker has worked as a curator, senior manager and director at the Waikato Museum of Art and History, National Art Gallery/Te Papa, Auckland Museum and Dowse Art Museum for over thirty years. He is a strategic consultant in the art and culture sector, working with cultural organisations, artists and arts groups, iwi and hapū, local and national government, businesses and community agencies. He is currently working on a book centred on Robley.
Image: Robley, Horatio Gordon, 1840-1930. [Robley, Horatio Gordon] 1840-1930 :Maketu. 1865?. Ref: A-080-051. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22623608
Join us at the Library or online. Register for a Zoom link: https://dia-nz.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MS2fOWa4TU-pKc3xtUqtxA#/registration
The changing legacy of Te Ropere
Horatio Gordon Robley’s association with mokamokai (preserved heads of Māori bearing moko mataora) has defined how he has been seen for over a century — by Britons, Pākehā and Māori. Unsurprisingly, this association has seen him vilified by many.
Tim Walker has been studying Robley, also known as Te Ropere, since 1979, initially for a MA thesis. Robley’s many letters and watercolours held by the Alexander Turnbull Library have been at the centre of Walker’s work, as have his close relationships with Robley’s Māori descendants.
Three key moments
In this talk, Tim will reflect on a series of ‘spaces between’ perspectives of Robley, and will focus on three key moments in time:
1864 Tauranga; as a young British officer at Gate Pā and subsequently at the kāinga of Matapihi, where he became the partner of the Ngāti Tapu chieftainess Harete Mauao and father to their son Hamiora Tū Ropere, and
1896 London; as the researcher, collector and author of Moko; or Māori Tattooing, and
2026 Whanganui; the application of a moko mataora on his great-great-grandson, by the kaitā Rangitākuku Kaihoro, an advocate of Robley’s mahi.
Tim will be presenting in partnership with the mokopuna (descendants) of Robley.
About the speaker
Tim Walker has worked as a curator, senior manager and director at the Waikato Museum of Art and History, National Art Gallery/Te Papa, Auckland Museum and Dowse Art Museum for over thirty years. He is a strategic consultant in the art and culture sector, working with cultural organisations, artists and arts groups, iwi and hapū, local and national government, businesses and community agencies. He is currently working on a book centred on Robley.
Image: Robley, Horatio Gordon, 1840-1930. [Robley, Horatio Gordon] 1840-1930 :Maketu. 1865?. Ref: A-080-051. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22623608
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Where is it happening?
Corner Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Thorndon, Wellington, New Zealand 6011, New Zealand
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherNational Library of New Zealand
