david coombe history
SUMMARY: The booklet "South Australia in 1842" was published in London in January 1843. Its three plates were North Terrace (after E A Opie), Farm of John Barton Hack: (after J M Skipper) and Kertamaroo & Mocata (after Theresa Walker). I reattribute the original Hack's Farm to Skipper from George Gawler.
Article type: ANALYSIS
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South Australia, in 1842 / by one who lived there nearly four years ; illustrated by drawings was published in London in January 1843. It's a small booklet of 32 pages illustrated with an outline map and three plates. Two of the plates were drawn on stone by George French Angas.
The book was noted in John Stephens' Adelaide Observer in July 1843:
The South Australian News of January last, announces the publication of a pamphlet to be entitled "South Australia in 1842," not by "One who is going" but by "One who lived there four years." We understand it will contain a full, true, and particular account of the Colony and be embellished with news of Adelaide, Mr Hack's Farm, and the portraits of two natives King John,and his wife. We suspect our friend David McLaren to be the author of the pamphlet.1
David McLaren was "one who lived there nearly four years".2 The Australian Dictionary of Biography: "McLaren was offered the London management of the [South Australian Company] when it was separated from its bank. Farewelled by more than a hundred leading colonists at a lavish luncheon he left Adelaide in January 1841 in the John Pirie.3
The chairman of the South Australian Company was George Fife Angas.
The book plates are:
The last two plates were drawn on stone by George French Angas in London, based on the works of South Australian artists. George French was the son of George Fife. (For more on George French, see Angas Contents ↑.)
The book gives an overview (with statistics) of the colony, particularly its economy, which it noted was beginning to recover from depression.
The monetary difficulties which have prevailed in all the Australasian colonies, during the years 1841 and 1842, have been so well known, as to render it unnecessary to present any details; suffice it to say, that South Australia has suffered in common with all the others, and with some aggravations peculiar to herself, arising from the temporary dishonour of Col. Gawler's drafts on the Colonization Commissioners. But all accounts concur in representing that the crisis had passed, and that the prospects are improving.
Before the copper optimism of 1843 South Australia was still a primary economy; wool for export was a major industry and labourers and shepherds were particularly encouraged to migrate. There was general advice for emigrants.
North Terrace – seemingly an engraving – was based likely on a lithograph, which in turn was from a watercolour by Edward Andrew Opie (? - 1879).
Book plate: Adelaide, South Australia (author photo)
Plate from the book "South Australia in 1842".
Note the bridge (not Frome Bridge) at left.
Opie sketched several South Australian scenes on behalf of George Fife Angas around September 1840.
FINE ARTS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
IN the infancy of this colony, it gives us great pleasure to state that there is, we understand, a growing desire for the cultivation of the fine arts, as also a very laudable disposition on the part of some of the friends of the colony at
home to foster such efforts. Yesterday, on calling at Mr. Chas. Robinson's establishment, in Rundle-street, we had an opportunity of seeing "A View of the Old Port"–"A Bird's-eye View of Adelaide" and "A View of the City from North Terrace"–executed in a bold and spirited style by Mr. E. A. Opie, at the particular order of George Fife Angas, Esq., of London.
From such efforts of Mr. Opie as have come under our own observation, we think him highly deserving of encouragement; and consider, moreover, that those of the colonists as may wish to send such views to their friends, might advantageously avail themselves of his services.4
Although Opie's originals are untraced, two of his images had been lithographed in London in December 1841.
VIEWS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
To be published in December.
A VIEW OF NORTH TERRACE, ADELAIDE, with the Park Land, to the River Torrens, and
A VIEW of the NEW WHARF AT THE PORT, with the Shipping, Warehouses, etc., from paintings by E. A. OPIE, taken on the spot, to be executed in Lithography, by an experienced Artist, and Coloured from Nature ...
Publisher, J.C. Hailes, 104 Leadenhall Street, Stationer to the South Australian Company, Banking Company, etc.5
E.A. Opie's view of Adelaide along North Terrace, be it bird's-eye or hill view, was lithographed in London. Note the bridge (not Frome Bridge) at left, just as in the book plate.
Farm of John Barton Hack, the lithograph opposite page 11, is captioned "From a Sketch by Col. Gawler" and is signed "George French Angas" (lower left).
Plate from the book "South Australia in 1842".
"A very correct drawing of the farm-steading of Mr John Barton Hack ... It is situate in the Mount Barker district ... named Echunga Springs..."
The book plate may have been based on this London lithograph:
Previously this image has been attributed to former Governor, Colonel George Gawler. The original watercolour is in Gawler's family collection, a part of which is in the State Library of South Australia: Paintings by George Gawler and J.M. Skipper [PRG 50/34]. At time of writing it is attributed to Gawler based on a reverse inscription.
However, this watercolour is not by Gawler but is by John Michael Skipper. It compares in style and size with other Skipper works in the PRG 50/34 collection, and compares in style with other contemporary Skipper works.
J.B. Hack's farm at Echunga Springs | SLSA PRG 50/34/2
Watercolour by John Michael Skipper (1815 - 1883) in collection of Colonel George Gawler.
I recently reattributed another work in PRG 50/34 from Gawler to S. T. Gill: S. T. Gill's Government House for George Gawler.
The book plate facing page 23 was of Aboriginal couple Kertamaroo (King John) and Mocata (his wife). They were drawn "On Stone by George French Angas" from waxes "Model'd from Life by Mrs Walker".
Theresa Walker made these in Adelaide and exhibited them at the Royal Academy in London in 1841. They are now held in the Art Gallery of South Australia: Kartamiru (first born male), also known as Murlawirrapurka, King John and Onkaparinga Jack of South Australia and Mukata, wife of King John, commonly known as Pretty Mary of South Australia.
The book noted "Mullawirraburka" signified "The Dry-forest Man".
South Australia, in 1842 / by one who lived there nearly four years ; illustrated by drawings Libraries Board of South Australia [Adelaide 1971 / Australiana facsimile editions]. <https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1999382>
David Coombe, 23 August 2025. Updated 5 October 2025. | text copyright (except where indicated).
CITE THIS: David Coombe, 2025, South Australia in 1842 (by one who lived there nearly four years), accessed dd mmm yyyy, <https://coombe.id.au/1840s_South_Australia/South_Australia_in_1842_Book.htm>