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Story: Mountaineering

Aoraki/Mt Cook, 1875

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Aoraki/Mt Cook, 1875

Aoraki/Mt Cook quickly became the focus of early mountaineering in New Zealand. Not only was it the tallest peak, but its spectacular position at the head of Lake Pūkaki made it a magnet for climbers and artists alike. This lithograph is by W. M. Hodgkins, father of the artist Frances Hodgkins. He sketched it on a visit in 1875, showing Aoraki/Mt Cook with the Hooker Glacier in the foreground and the lower slopes of Mt Sefton on the left.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: PUBL-0016-32

by William Mathew Hodgkins

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

John Wilson, Mountaineering – Aoraki/Mt Cook, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/10481/aorakimt-cook-1875 (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by John Wilson, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 February 2017.