Provenance:

Private Collection, Christchurch

First time on the market, held in same family collection since painted.

Information regarding the subject matter supplied by vendor.

Birchwood is a back country station and one of the original sheep runs of Western Southland. It was first owned by Freeman Jackson in the 1850s. Subsequent owners were Alex Jenkins, Captain James Gardiner who died in 1907, and Roderick McKenzie who bought it in 1903.

The mountains in the distance on the left are the Princess Mountains of Fiordland, and the nearer ones on the right are the Takitimu Mountains. In front of the Takitimus is Linton Station. The stream running through the painting is the Orauea Stream which is now called Blue Bottle Stream. The flat land is called Struan Flat. Captain Gardiner was the owner when Christopher Aubrey painted the station. He was known for his generosity and very likely put Christopher up for a few days in exchange for the painting. Captain Gardiner started the Birchwood Hunt which is a long time hunting event here. He had a magnificent two-storey house made of white pine (kahikatea). However, in the 1990s it was so full of borer that they decided to demolish it. Notes from Otautau Museum