Towns were an essential part of European colonising schemes, becoming the commercial, administrative and cultural hub of each venture. This is a view of the fledgling town of Wellington in 1842. Houses hug the beach (now Lambton Quay), which sweeps around Kumutoto Point (Woodward St) towards Thorndon Flat. William Mein Smith, the New Zealand Company surveyor, painted the image with a view to attracting further settlers. Key buildings and facilities are identified to show the town’s progress, including William Wakefield’s house, Barrett’s Hotel, the medical hall, emigration barracks and wharf. Smith also highlights Kumutoto pā, perhaps to emphasise how Māori lived among the Europeans.