Auckland Libraries and Nikau Press invite you to the launch of
Travels of Hochstetter and Haast in New Zealand 1858-1860
by Mike Johnston and Sascha Nolden
Monday 22 August, 6:00 PM
5:30 PM for a glass of wine and nibbles
Central City Library, level 2
44-46 Lorne St.
please RSVP to 377 0209 or reply to this email
When Ferdinand Hochstetter arrived in New Zealand in December 1858 as the geologist on the Austrian Novara Expedition, he found a vibrant young colony holding much that was still new to science. Joined by his new friend Julius Haast, he ventured into the wilds of the North Island and the rugged Nelson backcountry, recording a dramatic account of all that he found, from warring Maori chiefs to moa skeletons to undocumented flora, fauna, and of course rocks and minerals.
Drawing on previously unpublished material from New Zealand and European archives, including sketches drawn for Hochstetter by Charles Heaphy, Travels of Hochstetter and Haast in New Zealand is the fascinating story of two men of science and one of the great narratives of colonial exploration.
Dr Mike Johnston is a geologist living in Nelson. He has a longstanding interest in history, in particular how geological resources have influenced the settlements of Maori and European. His books include a history of the Marlborough goldfields, two works on Nelson’s Dun Mountain Railway (one of New Zealand’s earliest), and a life of colonial geologist Edward H. Davis.
Dr Sascha Nolden was born in Germany and has lived in New Zealand since 1982. A five-time graduate of the University of Auckland, his doctoral thesis was on Hochstetter and his letters to Julius Haast. Dr Nolden was a major force behind the Hochstetter Symposium held at the University of Auckland in 2008; he also curated the anniversary exhibition Ferdinand von Hochstetter: Father of New Zealand Geology, held at the Auckland Central City Library and Nelson Provincial Museum.
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