 Thomas Brunner ( April 1821 – 22 April 1874 ) was an English @-@ born surveyor and explorer remembered for his exploration of the West Coast of New Zealand 's South Island . Brunner was born in April 1821 in Oxford . When he was fifteen , he began to learn architecture and surveying . In 1841 , he joined the New Zealand Company . He arrived in Auckland on 23 May 1842 . He was appointed surveyor of the West Coast in September 1843 . He explored the region from 1843 to 1844 and again in 1845 and 18