Vegetation of New South Wales near Port Jackson
Artist
William Westall
(British, 1781 - 1850)
Datec 1815
Object number00000847
NamePrint
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 85 x 125 mm
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionBased on a work by artist William Westall, this print juxtaposes traditional Indigenous Australian living in the foreground against a recent European settlement lying across the harbour in the background. Native plants of banksias and xanthorrhoea are highlighted. This engraving was first published in Volume 1 of Matthew Flinders' ' Voyage to Terra Australis' (1814) as 'View of Port Jackson, taken from the South Head' facing page 227.HistoryThe arrival of European settlers in Australia in 1788 produced a wealth of descriptions and recordings of Australian flora and fauna. The natural history drawings were often copied and the works of artists such as George Raper and William Westall proved popular templates.
William Westall sailed with Matthew Flinders in HMS INVESTIGATOR 1801-1803 as voyage artist. The official account of Flinders's voyage contains prints based on Westall's original drawings.
