This painting shows the Canterbury provincial railway’s locomotive Pilgrim during its historic first journey at Ferrymead in December 1863. Painted by the renowned rail artist W.W. Stewart, it captures something of the excitement and novelty of early rail experiments.
Grantham House Publishing Ltd Artwork by W. W. Stewart
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.
How to cite this page
'New Zealand's first railway, Christchurch, 1863', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/painting-pilgrim-train-1863, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 11-Oct-2021
RELATED TO NEW ZEALAND'S FIRST RAILWAY, CHRISTCHURCH, 1863
Community contributions