Horatio Gordon Robley 

HORATIO GORDON ROBLEY

Horatio Gordon Robley was born at Madeira on 28 June 1840, his father being a captain in the Indian Army. In 1858 he purchased an ensigncy in the 68th Durham Light Infantry. After a short period of training he joined his regiment in Burma where he remained for nearly five years. 

Source: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/1966/robley-major-general-horatio-gordon (accessed 16 Jan 2020) 

Arriving in New Zealand

In 1863 the 68th Regiment left Burma for New Zealand and, in the following April, Robley took his troops to Tauranga to join General Cameron's forces attacking Gate Pa. Here he remained for 19 months during which his amazing series of sketches of Maori life were executed.  

'ROBLEY, Major-General Horatio Gordon', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966.

Source: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/1966/robley-major-general-horatio-gordon (accessed 16 Jan 2020)

Artistic talent

In New Zealand Robley had many opportunities of demonstrating his talent for drawing. At Tauranga, he made a sketch from an eminence of the inland view to the south-west with such accuracy that the troops were able to outflank the enemy's position. In Te Papa, there are seventy paintings by Robley – a remarkable historical record of the military occupation of Tauranga and supplying besides many intimate and casual details of early Maori life. 

'ROBLEY, Major-General Horatio Gordon', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966.

Source: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/1966/robley-major-general-horatio-gordon (accessed 16 Jan 2020)