Early Life and Artistic Beginnings Roland Shakespeare Wakelin (1887-1971) was born on April 17, 1887, in Greytown, New Zealand, the youngest of seven children born to Richard Alfred Wakelin, an English-born timber merchant, and Emily, née Noakes, from Auckland. From a young age, Wakelin demonstrated a passion for sketching and painting—a formative influence that would shape his entire artistic trajectory. He pursued formal education at Wellington Technical School in 1902-03, securing a scholarship that allowed him to continue his studies. Shortly thereafter, while employed with the Land and…