Drawings from the voyage of H.M.S. Britomart, 1837-1843 / drawn by Owen Stanley

fonds

1837-1843

Graphic Materials, Drawings, Watercolours, Manuscript Cartographic Materials

423146

2 albums (145 drawings) - watercolour, pencil and ink

Owen Stanley (1811-1850) naval officer and sketcher developed his talent as a draughtsman and watercolourist on board the Adventure where there was a regular school of artists on board including the commander P.P. King. In 1838 he was given command of the brig Britomart which sailed with the Aligator to form a settlement at Port Essington. In February 1840 the Britomart left for Sydney arriving in May, he left Sydney for New Zealand and on return headed for Hobart Town, in 1841 he set out for Singapore spending a considerable amount of time in Moulmein Harbour, Burma where the Britomart was eventually decommissioned and sold out of service. Stanley went on to command the surveying ship, H.M.S Rattlesnake. He died suddenly aboard the Rattlesnake in Sydney Harbour in 1850. Stanley's topographical watercolours in the Britomart (PXD 279, PXD 280) and Rattlesnake (PXC 281) albums are a valuable record of early Australia, showing a lively interest in the people and places he visited.
References: Dictionary of Australian Artists / by Joan Kerr. Melb, Vic : Oxford University Press, 1992 ; Australian Dictionary of Biography (Online ed.)

Volume 1:
Voyage of H.M.S. Britomart from 1837 to 1843 / drawn by Owen Stanley

Volume 3:
Voyage of H.M.S. Britomart from 1837 to 1843, volume 3 / drawn by Owen Stanley

Out of copyright:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Volume 1 (SAFE/PXC 279) has an envelope inserted inside front cover containing correspondence [1 letter, 2 memos] related to the 3 vols of sketches by commander Owen Stanley.

Volumes 1 and 3 are held (see SAFE/PXC 279 and SAFE/PXC 280) and a memo dated 1900, stating that volume 2 was being sent to Hobart.