Watch: The Two Lives of Lady Mary von Haast

Lady Mary von Haast was the wife of Sir Julius von Haast, founder of Canterbury Museum and Canterbury’s first provincial geologist.

Julius was an energetic man who achieved a great deal, but we know little about his wife Mary Dobson, other than that she was married to Julius. Mary Dobson was 19 years old when she married Julius and the couple were together for 24 years before Haast’s sudden death when Mary was only 43.

In this free public talk hosted by the Friends of Canterbury Museum, Senior Curator Human History Julia Bradshaw explored Mary’s life and her 26 years of widowhood, most of which she spent in Europe.

This talk took place on 29 November 2022.