Christopher Aubrey was an elusive character, moving from town to farm to town throughout New Zealand from the 1860s to the early 20th century, earning a living as he went by painting. Aubrey had a real skill as a draftsman often seen in his architectural paintings. In later years his sketches were a regular feature of the New Zealand Graphic. He painted in Otago and Southland during the 1870s and stayed on back country stations throughout the 1880s often leaving sketches behind in return for hospitality. From 1890 he moved from Wellington through the Wairarapa and ended up in Auckland by 1898.