William Beetham (25 July 1809 – 3 August 1888) was an English-born portrait painter, who painted mainly in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. He exhibited his paintings at the Royal Academy of Arts in London (1834–53) and painted in Hamburg, Copenhagen and at the court of the Tsar in Saint Petersburg. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1855 and became a significant figure as a colonist, pastoralist and portrait artist. He had a society clientele and received commissions to paint portraits of aristocrats and national leaders, including important Māori Rangatira chiefs. Beetham's paintings are in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington. He was the founder and Chair of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts in 1882. Mezzotint prints of Beetham's drawings are in the permanent collection of the Science Museum, London Beetham's paintings and drawings have also sold at Bonhams auction house. Biography William Beetham R.A. was born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England and started his career painting scenes of his home town. His grandfather Joshua Beetham Sr established 'Beetham Wine and Spirits' merchants which lasted for five generations. William established his reputation as a society portraitist, firstly in England by painting portraits (oil on canvas) of noble dignitary such as the Reverend Nathaniel Bond and the former Prime Minister F. J. Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich (1843). He exhibited frequently at the Royal Academy Of Art, London and travelled overseas to paint in Hamburg, Copenhagen and at the Court of the Tsar in St. Petersburg. His decision to emigrate to New Zealand in 1855 was motivated by the improved financial opportunities in the colonies and a desire to settle his large family of seven sons and three daughters on pastoral land. Beetham at 46 years of age and a European (pakeha) became one of the early settlers in New Zealand's colonial history when he arrived aboard the William and Jane Steamship at Port Nicholson, Wellington harbour on 1 December 1855. He settled at Te Mako, Taita in the Hutt Valley in 1860 after taking over a lease of land from Māori Chief Wi Tako Ngātata of Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Ruanui and Taranaki iwi, who was the most influential Māori chief in Wellington at that time and lived nearby at Naenae. The land was owned by Alexander Currie, chairman of the directors of the New Zealand