Historic takahē photograph links past and future conservation efforts

Southern Lakes Sanctuary has taken guardianship of a rare piece of New Zealand conservation history – an original takahē photograph dating back to the 1940s – now on loan as a result of a remarkable chain of stewardship spanning generations. 

The image traces its origins to one of the most significant moments in Aotearoa’s conservation story: the rediscovery of the takahē in 1948. At the time, the species had been declared extinct not once, but twice – with only four confirmed sightings prior to 1898. But for Invercargill doctor Geoffrey Orbell, uncertainty remained. As he later reflected, “Only four takahē had been found prior to 1898 and it was now supposed to be extinct. That word ‘supposed’ stimulated my boyish sense of adventure.” 

The rediscovery that changed conservation history

On 20 November 1948, Orbell led a small expedition including Neil McCrostie, Rex Watson and Joan Watson (nee Telfer) deep into the remote Murchison Mountains of Fiordland National Park. Acting on reports of unusual bird calls and footprints in the tussock, the group pushed into an isolated valley now known as Lake Orbell. There, they encountered what had been lost for half a century: a large, flightless bird, half a metre tall, with iridescent blue and green plumage – the takahē (then known as Notornis).

The original takahē photograph

Tracing the photograph’s journey

The photograph now held by Southern Lakes Sanctuary comes from Joan Watson’s estate, directly linking it to that rediscovery era and the people involved. 

Its more recent provenance reflects the continued effort to preserve that legacy. Dunedin art collector Marshall Seifert purchased the photograph through Haywards Auction House, before passing it to Gibbston Valley-based art consultant Leah Seifert, who specialises in sourcing rare and original works. 

Recognising its historical significance, the photograph was recently acquired by the family of the late Ted Bennett – a close friend of Orbell who played a role in early takahē conservation efforts in the Murchison Mountains. Bennett often joined Orbell and others on expeditions to help restore and protect takahē habitat, contributing to the foundations of the species’ long-term recovery.

Ted’s legacy continues today, including through the naming of a takahē at Orokonui Ecosanctuary near Dunedin.

Ted Bennett on an early takahē expedition. Courtesy of the Bennett whānau

An unexpected modern connection

That legacy found a new connection in 2025, when Bennett’s granddaughter, Jaimee Maha, partnered with Southern Lakes Sanctuary to campaign for takahē in Bird of the Year. The collaboration helped build wider public awareness and support for the species, while also forging a meaningful relationship between Maha and the Sanctuary. 

It is through that connection that the photograph is now on loan to Southern Lakes Sanctuary. In many ways, it has come full circle – entrusted by a family whose own story is deeply intertwined with the takahē’s recovery. 

The next chapter for takahē

Today, that recovery is being written in places like the Rees Valley, where Southern Lakes Sanctuary is helping shape the next chapter. Through sustained conservation efforts, the valley is now home to the largest wild population of takahē outside the Murchison Mountains – a significant milestone in the species’ return. 

The photograph is a tangible link between rediscovery and recovery, connecting the pioneering efforts of the past with the conservation work underway today to help secure the takahē’s future.