
In 1844 James MacKay, son of an Aberdeen merchant who had been living in London since 1827, set sail with his family for New Zealand. Before they left he had a painter, William Allsworth, produce a romanticised image of the departure of a family of noble Highland ancestry. MacKay’s aim was to give the family prestige and distinction in the new country. The painting is also an early example of the adoption of a Highland identity by many of New Zealand’s Scots.
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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Oil painting by William Allsworth
Permission of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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