Story: Arts and the nation

Cover of the first issue of Zealandia, 1889

Cover of the first issue of Zealandia, 1889

As the Nelson Evening Mail noted at the time, the cover of the literary magazine Zealandia was a melange of popular nationalist symbols. The land is represented by snowy mountains, flax bushes, ferns, a nīkau palm and a beech tree, while a huge moa and a small kiwi represent New Zealand's fauna. The idea of 'Maoriland' gets a nod, with a Māori chief in the foreground and waka (canoes) and a kāinga in the distance.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: Zealandia, vol. 1, no.1, 1889 (S-L-1263-Cover)

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:

Jock Phillips, 'Arts and the nation - The 19th century', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/44998/cover-of-the-first-issue-of-zealandia-1889 (accessed 24 April 2024)

Story by Jock Phillips, published 22 Oct 2014