The question of who was the model for the lone figure standing on the platform of Cass railway station in Rita Angus' famous painting may have been finally answered by a recent letter to the editor published in "Your Weekend" Magazine on August 8 2009 in response to an article on the settlement of Cass that was published the previous week.
"I read with great interest your Heartland column on Cass. The man on the station in the painting by Rita Angus is my late father, Percy Harold Morey. He was District Engineer for Railways from 1924 - 1945, in Dunedin, the West Coast and Canterbury. He travelled the lines inspecting washouts and slips, and frequently stayed at the Railway House at Cass. During the 1940s he build a bach that still stands to the right of the gate as you enter the settlement, and I have wonderful memories of exploring the surrounds while staying there during school holidays - Pamela Gray, Rolleston."
Are there any other candidates that have been put forward over the years?
errr, don't you mean "who is the person sitting on the railway station platform at Cass?" in said Rita Angus painting?
ReplyDeleteTrue BK, the man is sitting down! What was I thinking... I wonder if changing the title of this post is cheating somehow though? I'll leave it with your correction for the time being.
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