Skip to main content

Story: Otago region

Lake Wānaka from Trig Hill

Image
Lake Wānaka from Trig Hill

John Turnbull Thomson, Otago’s first provincial surveyor, was one of the first Europeans to see the inland lakes. In 1857 he painted this scene of Lake Wānaka from a summit to the east, north of Tarras. Thomson also took measurements from the hill – hence its name, Trig Hill.

Using this item

Private collection

by John Turnbull Thomson

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Malcolm McKinnon, Otago region – The Otago settlement, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/22638/lake-wanaka-from-trig-hill (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Malcolm McKinnon, published 18 August 2009, updated 1 May 2015.