Sketches in South Australia / William Leigh

PXA 1989

fonds

between 1852 and 1854

Graphic Materials, Drawings, Watercolours

448202

1 album (40 drawings) - pencil, watercolour - 29 x 42 cm

William Leigh was born in Staffordshire, England in 1829. His father acquired land in Adelaide in 1837, and invested in mines in South Australia and South Africa. Sent on a restorative sea voyage to the Australasian colonies in 1852, William Leigh sketched prolifically in South Africa, South Australia, NSW, Queensland and New Zealand until his return to England at the end of 1854. His 18 months abroad were mainly spent in South Australia, where he produced dozens of views, some of which related to his father's mining interests. William Leigh has sometimes been confused with another sketcher, W.H. Leigh, a ship's surgeon who visited Australia on a South Australian Company vessel in 1837 and published an account of his travels -- Reference: The Dictionary of Australian artists : painters, sketchers, photographers and engravers to 1870 / edited by Joan Kerr. Melbourne : Oxford University Press, 1992

Three albums of sketches by William Leigh (PXA 1987-1989) were acquired in two consignments from different vendors, and subsequently catalogued as a collection. PXA 1987 and PXA 1989 were purchased from the Museum Book Store in April 1926. PXA 1988 was purchased from Dymock's in December 1928.

1. Coast Line from Malcolm Point to the Bar. S.Australia, Oct 11.
2. Bungarie (ie. Bungaree]) nr Clare the residence of C Hawker Esq Dec 1852.
3. [...? Hutt] river Flat. Dec 6. 1852.
4. Burra Burra Mine Dec 8. 1852.
5. Encampment after the wreck of the Osmanli in D'Estree Bay Kangaroo Island. Nov 28/53.
6. Encampment after the wreck of the Osmanli in D'Estree Bay Kangaroo Island. Nov. 29/53.
7. Village of Unley & Mitcham Church nr Adelaide Dec 15/53.
8. On the Adelaide Plain from South Terrace. Dec 15/53.
9. Mount Lofty from the corner of East & South Terrace. Dec 22/53.
10. Lunatic Asylum Adelaide. Dec 16/53.
11. College nr Adelaide Jany 11./54.
12. Adelaide from North Adelaide Dec. 23/53.
13. Adelaide from the Lead mine Glen Osmond Dec 26/53.
14. Adelaide Plains from Glen Osmond looking South Dec 26/53.
15. Entrance to Glen Osmond. Jany 7/54.
16. Dr Everards nr Adelaide Dec 31./53.
17. On the Torrens Jany 4/54.
18. Valley of the Wakefield nr Watervale Jany 18./54.
19. Skilligolee (ie. Skillogolee) Creek, (probably North Hill) Jany (probably 18/54).
20. Skilligolee (ie. Skillogolee) Creek Jany 18/54.
21. In Skilligolee (ie. Skillogolee) Creek or Pittaways Jany (probably 19/54).
22. Mr Slaters. Valley of the Wakefield. Jan 19/54.
23. Mount Horrocks from Watervale. Jany 20/54.
24. Burra Burra Mine Jany 21/54.
25. Approach to Kooringa Jany 21/54.
26. Burra Hills from the road to the Black Springs. Jany 21/54.
27. On the road to the Black Springs Jany 21/54.
28. Kapunda Mine Jany 22/54.
29. Angaston. Jany 23/54.
30. Lyndsay House the residence of G.F. Angas Esq. Jany 23/54.
31. Morphett Vale Jany 27/54.
32. Clarendon Vineyard Jany 27/54.
33. River Onkaparinga nr Clarendon. Jany 27/54.
34. Long Gully. Echunga digging. S.A. Feb 2/54.
35. Wattle Flat Echunga Diggings. S.A. Feb 2/54.
36. Adelaide Plains & North Arm from the hills under Mount Lofty Feb 3/54.
37. Position of the Osmanli after the wreck Nov 28/53 (steamer should be good deal further from shore).
38. The Hawks Nest D'Estree Bay Kangaroo Island S.A. Nov 30/53.
39. Wreck of the Osmanli from the Yatala (1853).
40. View probably on the Adelaide plain, (probably 1852-1854).

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

Album title from gilt stamped leather label pasted onto cover

40. Title designated by cataloguer.

1. Lower left corner is missing
3. Has an unfinished pencil and watercolour sketch of the same scene on the reverse
7. Has an unfinished pencil sketch on reverse, titled in pencil as on front
9. Has a pencil sketch on reverse, titled in pencil "Mount Lofty from the corner of East & South Ter. Decr 22nd/53"
11. A note on the mount (now discarded) below drawing reads, `St Peters'
12. The Pictures Card catalogue index entry for this drawing gives the horizontal measurement as 43.5 cm. and states that the drawing is folded down the centre. The actual dimensions of the drawing in the album are 13.4 x 21.9 cm. A photographic reproduction dated July 1975 in the Picture Copying Scheme shows no indication of there being an adjoining section to the drawing, nor does a complementary part appear in the album.
16. Dr Charles G. Everard arrived in South Australia in 1836 and farmed land in the Unley district from 1838 until his death in 1876. -- Reference: State Library of South Australia - Place names of South Australia (online: www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/pn/e/e4.htm)
39. Undated. Dated from other drawings of wreck in same volume
40. Untitled, undated. Date given is from other drawings done by Leigh in South Australia. Titled after comparison with other drawings in the same volume

Notes on attribution and provenance are filed at PXn 376
Nos.1,4,30,35,37-39 are in pencil; the remainder are in pencil and watercolour

Date follows title at lower left except as noted below