Artist's Statement - Raoul Rough

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The Kermadec Islands are our northernmost territory. They are 1000 kilometres north east of North Cape, half way to Tonga. They have been New Zealand's territory since annexation in 1887.

Raoul Island, at 3000 hectares, is the largest island and the only one on which people are known to have tried to settle. It is actively volcanic, cyclone and earthquake prone with a rugged coastline that makes landing very difficult.

Introduced predators - kiore, goats, rats and domestic cats gone wild - all contributed to the loss of plant cover and birdlife but have been exterminated over the last 20 years. Now the focus is to remove plants brought by early settlers and the farming operation that supported the weather station there for 50 years. To do this the Dept. of Conservation sends teams of workers (some as volunteers) to eradicate the weeds that could invade, smother and alter the natural pohutukawa and nikau cover. With the pests and weeds gone, Raoul Island should again become the major seabird nesting site for these latitudes.

I have been a professional photographer for 20 years, first in Fiji, then, returning after the disastrous coups of 1987, in N.Z. where I specialised in photographs of artworks. At the same time I often did voluntary work for D.O.C. which led to volunteering for a 4 month stint on Raoul in 2001. Going to Raoul is often found to be a life changing experience and so it was for me. In 2002/03 I was fortunate to be able to return for a year's weeding - with photographic excursions in my spare time.

Raoul is very rugged, steep and remote, with an small range of plants and birds, whatever has arrived there by sea or wind. The place can seem monotonous or infinitely varied, depending on ones level of interest. The photos in this exhibition are some of my favourites. I hope they will give you an idea of the value the weeding programme in the restoration of endemic plant and bird life on Raoul Island.

Julia Brooke-White, May 2004

Photographs framed by Ron Barber of 91 Aro St, Wellington.