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421793

Title
Sketches on board the H.M.S. Rattlesnake made during the coastal survey of the passage between the Great Barrier Reef and the east coast of Australia, ca. 1848 / Oswald W. B. Brierly
Creator
Oswald W. B. (Oswald Walters B.) Brierly, 1817-1894
Call number
PX*D 81
Level of description
item
Date

1848
Type of material
Graphic Materials, Drawings
Reference code
421793
Issue Copy
Digitised
Physical Description
Drawings - 98 drawings (pencil - ink - watercolour) - 40 x 38.2 cm. or smaller
Scope and Content
The sketches are of coastal and seascape profiles and feature places visited by the H.M.S. Rattlesnake whilst sailing along the east coast of Australia. These include: Albany, Caincross, Dunk, Fitzroy, Forbes, Hope, Lizard, and Low Islands.
Volume 1 (Nos. 1-25b)
1. H.M.S. Rattlesnake starting for the survey of the inner passage of Tor... [Torres?] Straits April 20 1848.
2. H.M.S. St. Vincent Malta February 11 1834. Rockingham [?] Bay. Watering place - Dunk Island, June 5 1848.
3. Saddle Island the double point - Barnard Group - 8 June 48 [i.e. 1848]
4. Barnard Group - June 9 1848
5. Making The Louisiade. Morning of 10th June 1849 [with descriptive notes]
6a. Fitzroy Island 24 June [18]48 NNW Point [with colour notes]
6b. Granite Rocks at Fitzroy Island [reverse of 6a.]
6c. Extreme Granite Rocks of great size at Fitzroy Island 21 June 1848
7a. 14 June [18]48 [Mountainous coastline with ship Rattlesnake]
7b. [Unfinished sketch of people - reverse of 7a]
8a. Peak pm anchorage Hope Islands. 11 June. July 14 1848
8b. [Landscape. Unidentified watercolour]
9. "Torres" [in pencil on front top left-hand corner]. Shoal water off a coral beach. H.M.S. Rattle Snake Fitzroy Island June 28/[18]48 [in pencil on reverse of image]
10. Fitzroy Island 21 June/[18]48 Louisiades
11. Hope Island June 20/[18]48 [Two coastal profiles]
12. Rocks [and] Bellenden Kerr Mountains - 8 am. 16 June 1848 seen from anchorage under No.4 Island of Frankland Group distant notes [miles?]. Centre gap main peak W.S.W. Round hill at Northern End of Range. W 1/2 S - Gap Southern Peak SW by W. [Two coastal profiles]
13a. Low Islands July 8/[18]48
13b. [Sailing ship]
14. Outrigger Canoe found upon Fitzroy Island June 24 1848. H.M.S. Rattlesnake June 27/[18]48 [with descriptive notes on canoe and paddle]
15. H.M.S. Rattlesnake Cape Grafton 27 June 1848
16. July 24/48 [sketch of two rocky Islands]
17. Louisiade [text in pencil on front]. Low Islands July 11 1848 [text in pencil on reverse]
18. H.M.S. Rattlesnake Low Islands July 11 1848
19. Mount Cook & Point Monkhouse July 25/[18]48
20. Land in neighbourhood Endeavour River [and] Cape Bedford Turtle Reef distant miles - 8 am July 28/[18]48 [Two coastal profiles]
21. Lizard I. Landing place 31 July 1848 [with extensive notes]
22. Cape Flattery dist. miles 6.30 am July 29/[18]48 [and] N 20 W Compass [Two coastal profiles]
23. Granite Lizard Island August 5/48
24. Granite Lizard Island Augt 5/48
25a. Louisiade [front sketch with three vessels and men on beach]
25b. Sandy spit running off N.W. End of Island Friday [Finding?] Turtle Eggs. H.M.S. Rattlesnake Augt 2nd 1848
Volume 2 (Nos. 26a-57b)
26a. Direction Island 8 August [18]48 [i.e. Little Fitzroy Island].
26b. [Pinnace sailing ship] June 22nd/[18]48
27. Lizard Island (Inner Passage Torres Strait) Augt. 9/[18]48 [with colour notes]
28a. [Ob]servatory at Lizard Island. S. Eastern Peak Lizard Island H.M.S. Rattlesnake - August 11/[18]48 [with colour notes]
28b. [Men setting up camp on the banks of a river. Possibly Kennedy's expedition at Rockingham Bay]
29a. Lizard I.
29b. Endeavour Reef from S of Rocky Island [faded caption]
30. Noble Island. 11 am Augt. 17/[18]48 [with direction and colour notes]
31a. Cape Bowen August 16/[18]48
31b. [Sailing boat. Pencil sketch with colour notes]
32a. Lizard Island Aug 14/[18]48 [with notes]
32b. Start of Asp and 2nd. Cutter from Liz'd Id. 14 Augt. 1848 [Unfinished pencil sketch of sail boats]
33. Noble Island Aug 20/[18]48
34. Cape Bowen and Noble Islands for No.1 Howick Group 7 am Augt. 17/[18]48 [with colour notes]
35. Point Murdock from [symbol of arrow denoting anchorage] under No.1 Howick distant 6 miles. 7 am Augt. 17/[18]48 [with direction notes]
36. Cape Melville Aug 21/[18]48
37a. Noble Island Augt. 20 [18]48 taken about Cape Bowen dist. seven 7 miles [with insert sketch at upper right, "9.30"]
37b. [Noble Island] S.E. 8.30
38. Aug 20 [18]48 Leaving No.6 Horwick Noble Island
39. Cape Melville Augt. 25/[18]48. From Louisiades Sketches
40a. Pipon Island off Cape Melville [with colour and direction notes]
40b. Noble I. SE 27 miles Augt. 20 1.30 pm./ Point Barrow SSE dis 13 miles/ Cape Melville Flinders Peak opening over the point August 21/[18]48 2 am
41. Louisiades 10 am Augt. 21/[18]48 [with some colour notes]
42a. Cape Flinders 28 Augt. 1848
42b. [Seascape. Unfinished sketch with notes on colour]
43. Clack Island dis' 5 mi. Augt. 28/[18]48 [with notes]
44a. Cape Flinders Augt. 28/[18]48
44b. Clack Island [and] Passing Cape Flinders & Clack Island 28 Augt. 1848 [Two sketches]
45. No.6 Claremont I. Sep 3d [18]48 [with notes]
46. Cape Sidmouth dist. 10 miles ? Sep 2 [18]48 9 am Running from No.5 Claremont I. / Running for No.6 Claremont I. 2nd Sep.
47. Cape Melville dist. 10 miles 9.40 cm Aug 28 [18]48
48. Cape Sidmouth S by W 5 miles Sep 4 [18]48 [and] Sowwong? I. No.8 Claremont 1 1/2 mile dist. [and] Cape Direction from [anchor symbol for anchorage] under Sherrards Inlets Sep 12 [18]48 [3 sketches on page with notes]
49. Knights [i.e. Night] Island Sep 8/[18]48 [with notes]
50. Knight [i.e. Night] Island Sep 4/[18]48 [with notes]
51. Cape Sidmouth dis 5 miles S60W 11.30 am from [anchor symbol]ge under No.7 Claremont I. Brawns Peak
52a. H.M.S. Rattlesnake Sherrard Islet Sep. 14/[18]48. Cape Direction V N 65W Compass - dist. miles Sep. 16 [18]48
52b. [Sky. Watercolour study]
53. Cape Direction from [anchor symbol] age at Sherrards Islets H.M.S. Rattlesnake 12 Sep. [18]48
54a. Main Land W.N.W. fm. [symbol of anchor]ge under Night Island Sep 10 [18]48 [with extensive notes]
54b. Highest Peak of Land seen from [anchor symbol]ge under Night Island N 55 W by ? Compass
55. Sheet 1 Albany Island Main Oct 5/[18]48. Passage between Albany Island ? the Main
56. Cairncross Island 4 Oct 1848 [with notes]
57a. Forbes Islands Sep 26/[18]48 Remarkable Land on main
57b. Pipers Islands dist. 2 miles 26 Sep. [18]48
Volume 3 (Nos. 58-80)
58. Cairncross Island Oct 5/[18]48 [with notes and three unfinished sketches of ships]
59. Sheet 2 Oct 5/[18]48 Mount Adolphus N by W [Two coastal profiles]
60a. First sight of Pinnace on return from Booby Island - Oct 11/[18]48. / Return of Pinnace from Booby I Oct 11/[18]48
60b. Cape York 12 Oct. [18]48. Louisiades
61. Part Albany Cape York Oct 11 [18]48
62. York Island 18 Oct [18]48
63. "Mogos" Ant Hills at Cape York
64. York Island from the western Bay Oct 16/[18]48 [notes on colour and vegetation on island]
65. Evans Bay and Cape York
66. Megapodius Mounds - Cape York. Blacks digging for eggs. [Names of 4 Aborigines on the reverse] Maalatoo-too, Marra MalCologue?, Arriaja, Chingance
67. Native Bier Port Essington
68a. Prince Wales's Island Canoe "Bruwan" [with description and native names]
68b. [Unfinished sketch]
69. Outrigger Canoe Cape York [with notes identifying parts, dimensions, and colours]
70a. Tide Pole Mrunde[?] Island Louisiades
70b. [Sailing ship]
71. Brazen Head. Louisiade
72. Rocky Island [with Mt Cook at upper right]
73-74a. Louisiades [Islands Louisiade Archipelago]
74b. [Sails with rigging. Unfinished sketch]
75. Louisiades
76. Louisiades [Islands with men in a boat and a few notes]
77. Louisiades. Fine coral sand [Bay with trees]
78. Joannet Canoes. Louisiade (New Guinea) [with notes]
79. Louisiade Canoe [with notes]
80. [Backing sheet for missing sketch, "Point Cooper & Double Point, Barnard Group Inner Passage Great Barrier Reef H.M.S. Rattlesnake June 9 1848"]
Access Conditions

Access via appointment
Copying Conditions
Out of copyright: Creator died before 1955
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
General note

The drawings in this album have been renumbered.
Some sketches have an additional drawing on the reverse and have been numbered a & b accordingly.
Nos. 9, 15, 17, 18, 27, 67 are titled or reverse of image.
Many sketches are annotated with descriptive notes about nautical location, terrain, dramatic weather conditions and wind direction as well as colour details.
No.1 has auction label "227" on reverse.
No.6 bears watermark, "Moinier's Patent 1845". This sheet is folded in half and has 3 sketches.
Nos. 10, 12, 15, 42, 68, 76 bear auction labels "110", "152", "214", "30", "64", and "113" respectively.
No.26 has oblique slits in each corner.
No.49 is torn on left-hand corner.
Nos. 55 and 59 are companion sketches.
No.58 bears watermark, "Sevan's & Co./ 1843".
No.62 has a piece missing from the lower left.
Nos. 70-79 have text "Louisiades" in an unknown hand.
Digital order no:Album ID : 824100
Signatures / Inscriptions

Most drawings have a caption or title on the front of the image and are dated.
Name
Rattlesnake (Ship)
Subject
David Scott Mitchell Collection.
Topic
Aboriginal peoples (Australians)
ant hills
canoes
coasts
islands
seascapes (artwork)
ships
watercolours
Place
Booby Island
Cape York (Qld.)
Direction Island (Cocos (Keeling) Islands)
Dunk Island (Qld.)
Fitzroy Island (Qld.)
Louisiade Archipelago (Papua New Guinea)
Torres Strait (Qld.)
Exhibited in

Blighted paradise : colonial visions of Northern Australia - Rockhampton Art Gallery (12 October - 25 November, 2001)
The Art of exploration - Perc Tucker Regional Gallery
Upon a painted ocean. Sir Oswald Brierly - State Library of New South Wales (October, 2004 - February, 2005)