• Title
  Item 02: The Coal River or Port of Newcastle New South Wales ... / watercolour drawing possibly by John William Lewin
• Call number
  SAFE/PXD 942/2
  
• Level of description
  series
• Date
  
  1808
• Type of material
  Graphic Materials, Drawings
• Reference code
  430517
• Issue Copy
  Digitised
• Physical Description
  1 drawing - watercolour and pencil - 24.2 x 61.9 cm irregular
  
• Access Conditions
  
  Access via appointment
• Copying Conditions
  Out of copyright: Artist died before 1955
  Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
• General note
  
  Family tradition attributes this drawing to William Bligh. However it is unclear from the inscription on its reverse whether Bligh claims authorship of it, or is simply stating that he arranged for an original drawing by Mr Cockril to be copied. It possible that this copy was made by John Lewin as it is stylistically similar to other works by him.
  
  It has not been possible to determine if Bligh actually visited Newcastle - there is no obvious record that he did - although an inscription said to be by Bligh on the reverse of another watercolour by Lewin of Newcastle implies that he had some experience of the Harbour (see Stephen Walters, "William Bligh..", 1982, p.39).
  
  Charles Cockerill, of the Whaler Albion, agreed to carry dispatches by Bligh to England in November 1808: William Bligh to Under Secretary Cooke, 8 November 1808, Historic Records of Australia, vol. 6 p.691
  Digital order no:Album ID : 879109
• Signatures / Inscriptions
  
  Titled on reverse in ink. Title continues "Taken from a Sketch of Mr Cockril Master of a Brig / From England in 1808 and arranged by Governor Bligh / WB"
  
  The drawing is inscribed in ink with the names of prominent features ("Kings Town" has been crossed out and replaced with "Newcastle") and soundings for the river. It has been suggested that these inscriptions may be in William Bligh's hand, but it has not been possible to determine this conclusively.
• Creator/Author/Artist
  Lewin, J. W. (John William), 1770-1819
  
• Topic
  bird's-eye views
  penal settlements
  settlements
  
• Place
  Hunter River (N.S.W.)
  Newcastle Harbour (N.S.W.)
  Nobbys (Newcastle, N.S.W.)
  Stockton (N.S.W.)
  
• Exhibited in
  
  The City Unfolds - Newcastle Region Art Gallery
  Early Newcastle Views - Newcastle Region Art Gallery
  Lewin: Wild Art - State Library of New South Wales (March, 2012 - October, 2012)
• Open Rosetta viewer
  IE1057122

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