This extremely rare watercolour is one of the earliest known works of Parnell area featuring 'Fairlawn', the residence of John Charles Blackett, near the foreshore at Campbells Point.

Parnell in 1853 was significantly different from what we see today. The hilly landscape and sheltered bays divided by protruding points that attracted early settlers to Auckland, were seen by following generations as obstacles in the path of making Auckland an industrial Victorian city.

These generations set about transforming the landscape, removing promontories and reclaiming bays to increase available flat land for business. In 1852 Hogan produced four lithographs of Auckland, images that were reproduced and heavily commercialised since. His surviving watercolours are rarely offered for sale. Hogan was a resident of Parnell, arriving from Ireland aboard Oriental Queen in 1849. At the time this was painted Auckland was the nations Capital City. A year later Hogan was working under Charles Heaphy as a government surveyor.

This watercolour precedes Hogan's 1854 Parliament Buildings above Mechanics Bay, from Parnell, collection of Auckland Art Gallery