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C1804
1. The Lady Nelson & Francis Schooner entering Hunters or Coal River. 2. Where the Lady Nelson first Anchored in Hunters or Coal River.
Artist:
The earliest views of Newcastle by John Lewin, made after Lieutenant James Grant surveyed the area after the discovery of coal by John Shortland in 1797. From The Narrative of a Voyage of Discovery Performed in his Majesty’s Vessel the … Read Full Description
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Full Title:
1. The Lady Nelson & Francis Schooner entering Hunters or Coal River. 2. Where the Lady Nelson first Anchored in Hunters or Coal River.
Date:
C1804
Artist:
Condition:
In good condition.
Technique:
Copper engraving hand coloured
Image Size:
235mm
x 168mm
Frame Size:
530mm
x 480mm
AUTHENTICITY
Genuine antique
dated:
1804
Description:
The earliest views of Newcastle by John Lewin, made after Lieutenant James Grant surveyed the area after the discovery of coal by John Shortland in 1797.
From The Narrative of a Voyage of Discovery Performed in his Majesty’s Vessel the Lady Nelson.
Following the discovery of the area by Lieutenant John Shortland on 9 September 1797, while in pursuit of escaped convicts, the party landed at Fort Scratchley and while surveying the area found evidence of coal, thereby naming the river Coal River, later renamed Hunter River. In 1801, Lieutenant James Grant, who had arrived in Sydney on the brig Lady Nelson following his survey of the Victorian coast, was ordered to take Colonel William Paterson to Hunter River. His duties were to make a survey of the river, gain knowledge of its natural productions and whatever might appear worthy of observation.
He set sail on 11 June in company with the schooner Francis and soon after arriving at their destination, Grant observed that ‘the Colony of New South Wales cannot fail of reaping great advantage from a mine of coals so near it, and so easy to be worked’. By 26 June, the Francis had set sail with a cargo of coal. A month later, after an extensive survey of the river and surrounding area by the surveyor Francis Louis Barallier, the Lady Nelson departed for Sydney.
SOLD AS A PAIR
John William Lewin (1770 - 1819)
Lewin was a naturalist and artist, the son of William Lewin, a fellow of the Linnean Society and author of The Birds of Great Britain. He arrived in Sydney in 1800 and lived at Parramatta. He went on a number of early exploring expeditions in the colony including with Colonel William Paterson exploring the Hunter River and in November 1801. In 1804 Lewin was granted a 100-acre (40 ha) farm near Parramatta. He accompanied Macquarie's party when the governor first crossed the Blue Mountains via William Cox's new road in May 1815. In 1817 and 1818 Macquarie commissioned drawings of plants collected during John Oxley's explorations. Lewin died on 27 August 1819. His greatest published work was, The Birds of New South Wales. As the first free professional artist in Australia, Lewin holds a significant place in the history and development of colonial art.The Birds of New South Wales was the first published series on Australian birds and a testament to Lewin's artistic skills and keen sense of observation. In a break from tradition, Lewin not only utilised unusual compositions to depict his subjects but for the first time we see the beginning of a true reflection in the portrayal of Australian botany. In producing The Birds of New South Wales, Lewin encountered enormous difficulties and tribulations which culminated in a very complicated publishing history.
