Henderson Gallery | 1 June – 30 July 2026. We delighted to present Russell Clark: The City Hotel Gold Rush Murals — a rare opportunity to experience one of New Zealand’s most captivating works of public art in its entirety.
In 1962, acclaimed New Zealand artist Russell Clark (1905–1966) was commissioned to paint 28 panels for Dunedin’s City Hotel, depicting the drama, humour, and humanity of the 1860s Central Otago gold rush. Vivid, witty, and masterfully composed, the panels follow an adventurous Scotsman and his loyal dog as they join the chaotic race to the goldfields — battling the elements, outsmarting bandits, and ultimately striking it rich against a backdrop of the region’s breathtaking landscape.
Clark was a towering figure in mid-twentieth century New Zealand art, whose influence reached far beyond the gallery wall. His students included Colin McCahon and Doris Lusk, his illustrations shaped the childhoods of generations of New Zealanders through the New Zealand School Journal and the New Zealand Listener, and his work as an Official War Artist produced an enduring record of New Zealand’s experience in the Pacific. These 28 panels represent Clark at his most joyful and assured — a master storyteller working at the height of his powers.
Long held in private ownership, the panels are now part of the Central Stories permanent collection thanks to the generosity of Stewart Elms, and are being exhibited publicly for the first time in years with the support of the Vincent Community Board. Their journey to Alexandra is itself a remarkable story — one that speaks to the importance of preserving New Zealand’s artistic heritage for future generations.
This is an exhibition that belongs here. The goldfields are on our doorstep, the landscape Clark painted is the one we live in, and the story he told with such warmth and wit is our story. We invite you to come and experience it.
Curriculum links: NZ History, Social Studies, Visual Arts, English. School visits welcome — contact us to arrange an education package tailored to your class.
