Brees, Samuel

Samuel Charles Brees (1810-1856), trained as a surveyor, arrived in New Zealand in 1842 as Principal Surveyor and Engineer to the New Zealand Company, responsible for surveying in the Wellington and Wairarapa areas in preparation for the first NZ Company settlers. He returned to England in 1845, and in 1847 published his Pictorial Illustrations of New Zealand, now a rare and valuable work.

The lithographs made from his watercolours were designed to show New Zealand as a highly desirable destination for adventurous migrants and were re-issued as a series of limited edition prints by Avon Fine Prints.