Edward Sealy | |
|---|---|
 Edward Sealy (mid-1870s) | |
| Born | Edward Percy Sealy 23 August 1839 England |
| Died | 30 October 1903 (aged 64) 'Southerndown', Timaru, New Zealand |
| Occupation(s) | Surveyor, farmer, explorer, entomologist |
| Known for | Early Alpine photography "The Sealy case" |
| Notable work | Collection of moths and butterflies |
| Family | Henry Sealy (brother) |
Edward Percy Sealy (23 August 1839 – 30 October 1903), also referred to as Edwin Sealy, was a New Zealand surveyor, photographer, explorer, farmer, and entomologist. Born into a wealthy English family, Edward and his elder brother Henry received a good education but were orphaned at a young age. The brothers emigrated to New Zealand and Edward was 19 when they arrived in 1859. They initially spent time with a relative in the Hawke's Bay Region from whom Edward learned photography. The brothers became surveyors in the Hawke's Bay and then worked for the Canterbury Provincial Council in this trade. They were involved in a very public scandal in 1876 when Edward beat a prominent member of parliament to some land that they were both interested in based on insider information that had been passed on by his brother. Both Sealy brothers were also farmers, with Henry engaging in much land speculation. They built family mansions next to each other in 1875 just outside of Timaru after they both married. His brother lost his house in the economic downturn that started in the late 1870s.
Edward Sealy explored in the Southern Alps, sometimes working alongside Julius von Haast. He took his camera into the mountains and was the first to take photos in those areas. When the New Zealand Alpine Club was founded in 1891, Sealy became one of the inaugural vice-presidents. Sealy was a collector of butterflies, moths and birds' eggs and his entomology collection was considered one of the most notable private collections in the world. The South Canterbury Museum in Timaru holds his entomology collection, and his photographs are held by the South Canterbury Museum and Canterbury Museum in Christchurch. Some geographic features in the Southern Alps and elsewhere are named for Sealy.