Story: European discovery of plants and animals

This illustration of whau leaves and flowers (Entelea arborescens) is based on a sketch by Sydney Parkinson, the artist who came with James Cook on his first voyage to New Zealand (1768–71). The final watercolour was done by another artist, Fred Polydore Nodder. In an era before photography, artists such as Parkinson were invaluable record keepers, not only of the landscape but also of the finer details of new species of plants and animals. Sketches were made in the field, and finished paintings were only completed years later, often by other artists.