Media Release 11 October 2012

Joseph Banks exhibition stays open during
Powerco Taranaki Garden Spectacular

A hugely popular exhibition around actual specimens collected by Joseph Banks and fellow botanists on the HMS Endeavour while in New Zealand back in the late 1700s will be open for visitors to this year’s Powerco Taranaki Garden Spectacular running from October 26 to November 4.

Exhibited at Puke Ariki in New Plymouth, to date more than 9,000 visitors have enjoyed Shadowing Venus: Pacific Adventures of Joseph Banks since it opened on July 7.

The exhibition displays original pressed flowers and leaves including two kowhai and one each of a pohutukawa and a kaka beak. These collected plants were among the inspiration for the beautiful botanical artworks in the Banks’ Florilegium.

This exhibition includes 46 framed prints from the Florilegium and stories of the colourful characters aboard the Endeavour on its maiden voyage. Along with brilliant examples of 18th Century science come tales of political intrigue, espionage, religion, huge wealth, adventures on the high seas, sex and violence.

Underlying all this was a search for “the great southern continent” and an early space race: observing the Transit of Venus from the Pacific.

Feedback from visitors has been overwhelmingly supportive and people have enjoyed the “history of Banks and associates”, “just seeing how they painted the detail and beauty” and the “great documentary on the colour matching and mixing to find the true colour of plants”.

Other comments included: “A wonderful exhibition and information. Amazing all those years ago!” and a visitor from the United Kingdom was awestruck by the botanical prints on show.

“I thought it was quite extraordinary that these treasures, that are so integral to the history of New Zealand had been hidden away for so long,” says Shane Wood, who lives in London. “I think it’s fantastic that we have got the opportunity to view them and gain a greater insight into the ecology and perhaps future uses of New Zealand flora.”

Now in its 25th year, in the Powerco Taranaki Garden Spectacular itself there will be more than 50 public and private gardens open in the 10-day festival including 11 Gardens of Significance as rated by the New Zealand Gardens’ Trust.

And visitors will be able to enjoy some of the original gardens that are still in the festival today including Tikorangi – The Jury Garden, Pukeiti, Tupare, Hollards, Pukekura Park and Ostler’s Garden.

In addition to the Shadowing Venus exhibition, virtually every day of the Festival there will be a choice of guided walks, tours, demonstrations, seminars or workshops with guest speakers.

Fresh events have also been programmed to mark the occasion of the 25th anniversary and range from a stunning Spring Fashion in the Garden show to Secret Dining to Frocks on Bikes.

And this year’s unique Landscape Design Project, supported with funding from the TSB Community Trust, will be “The Peranakan Lights”. A fascinating fusion of South East Asian artistic cultures, The Lights will be installed in New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park in the area known as the Brooklands Lawn enabling anyone to come and enjoy what will be an impressive first for New Zealand.

Shadowing Venus: Pacific Adventures of Joseph Banks is on at Puke Ariki in New Plymouth until 11 November and is supported by the Taranaki Regional Council.

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