Auction for some of New Zealand's rarest documents reels in over $500,000

NZ Herald

26 Jun, 2019 06:57 AM2 mins to read

Warrior Chieftains of New Zealand, a watercolour by Joseph Merrett Jenner featuring chiefs Kawiti, Hone Heke and his wife Harriet, is expected to be a popular item at auction. Photo / Supplied

Hundreds of rare documents and books marking major milestones in New Zealand's history sold at auction for a total of $550,000.

The collection, lovingly accumulated by Christopher Parr over 70 years, was described as one of the finest collections of early New Zealand printed material.

Titled the Christopher Parr Collection, items comprised of around 330 documents, newspapers, rare books and includes the Crown's declaration of sovereignty over New Zealand.

Other drawcards of the collection include Māori proclamations and the first printed newspaper in New Zealand's history.

Rare book consultant at auctioneers Art & Object, Pam Plumbly, said last week the documents were unlikely to ever come on the market again.

A rare copy of the first print of Captain William Hobson's Declaration of Sovereignty over the islands of New Zealand, which incorrectly defines the nation's location. Photo / Supplied

"When they were printed, they were printed in very small numbers ... and they're paper," she said. "So I can't see them coming up again. They are special."

Art & Object director Ben Plumbly told the Herald it was an amazing auction, which ran today, with over half a million dollars reeled in.

William Hobson's Second Amended Declaration of sovereignty over the islands of New Zealand was tipped to sell between $12,000 and $18,000 but sold for $34,400.

William Colenso's copy of the Treaty of Waitangi proclamation was also estimated between $12,000 and $18,000 but sold for $30,750.

Meanwhile, Joseph Merrett Jenner's watercolour painting titled Warrior Chieftains of New Zealand went for $39,900 under the hammer.

The painting depicts Northland chiefs, Kawiti, Hone Heke and his wife Harriet.