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Story: Landscapes – overview

A Canterbury scene

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A Canterbury scene

Hawkins is a small settlement with an abandoned railway station on the Canterbury Plains, near Darfield. Rata Lovell-Smith’s 1933 painting, entitled ‘Hawkins’, shows it as a place of isolation and silence, with the Southern Alps in the background. The painting style is typical of the 1930s Canterbury group of artists, using simple lines and strong colours – mainly ochres and blue-greys.

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Christchurch Art Gallery - Te Puna o Waiwhetu

Reference: 81/33

by Rata Lovell-Smith

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How to cite this page

Eileen McSaveney, Landscapes – overview – Central South Island, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/13043/a-canterbury-scene (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Eileen McSaveney, published 1 March 2009, updated 1 July 2015.