david coombe history
SUMMARY: S.T. Gill executed several sets of wash drawings of South Australian scenes, illustrating for an English audience the colony's notable natural characteristics, the Aboriginal people and their practices, and rural life. A group of 12 drawings is the earliest known of these sets. Gill drew these for J.F. Bennett, author of the book "Historical and descriptive account of South Australia ..." published in 1843. Both this set of artworks and the book are held by the National Library of Australia (NLA) in the Nan Kivell collection.
Gill seems to have taken inspiration from Bennett's book for this and subsequent sets of South Australian scenes, as well as for later individual works.
Article type: NARRATIVE & CATALOGUE
In this article ...
James Frederick Bennett arrived in South Australia from England on the Katherine Stuart Forbes in March 1839. (John Ainsworth Horrocks was also a passenger.) With brother Samuel, the partnership of J. & S. Bennett began selling merchandise from a store in Gawler Place (and were so doing when artist S.T. Gill established his rooms there).
After three years in the colony J.F. Bennett – by this time editor of the Adelaide Chronicle – began a return visit to Britain in March 1842. He was intending a twelve month round trip1 and sailed on the Daphne destined for Stirling, Scotland. (The Chronicle, owned by the Register, folded soon after in May 1842 amidst tough economic conditions.)
The purpose of Bennett's trip was unstated but while away he published a booklet on South Australia aimed at intending emigrants.
Bennett's "Historical and descriptive account of South Australia : founded on the experience of a three years' residence in that colony" was published in early 1843 by Smith, Elder & Co. in London and A. & C. Black, Edinburgh and printed at the Stirling Observer office.
The Nan Kivell Collection in the National Library of Australia (NLA) has a copy of Bennett's 152 page book and you can read it online at Trove Digital Library.
Bennett's title is very much like another contemporary booklet, "South Australia in 1842, by one who lived there nearly four years", which included illustrations lithographed by George French Angas from the works of other artists.
South Australia in 1842 (by one who lived there nearly four years)
"South Australia in 1842" was published London, January 1843 with three plates from works by SA artists E A Opie, J M Skipper and Theresa Walker.
Bennett came back to South Australia on 31 December 1843 in the barque Augustus with some prominent colonists, the most notable being George French Angas.
Mr J. F. Bennett, formerly of this journal, has returned to the Colony in the Augustus, and will be heartily welcomed by his numerous friends. Mr Bennett's new book on South Australia has been lying by us for some weeks, but we regret our inability hitherto to have noticed it as we ought.2
The neglect was soon remedied.
HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. – BY J. F. BENNETT. * – We have read this little publication with much pleasure : it is the first work in which the colony has been brought before the British public, by a person who has resided in it for a length of time. Previous to its publication, the only mode by which intending settlers and emigrants could obtain full and accurate information respecting the land in which they intended to settle probably for life, was from the newspapers, or from the vague, imperfect, and incorrect reports of transient visitors. This work, however, supplies the desideratum well. It is full of facts, of the correctness of most of which we are personally cognisant ; and we can state with confidence, that even what may be called mistakes are very few in number. Indeed, strict adherence to the unvarnished truth is the prevailing characteristic. The only blemishes are a few strictures on the policy of the Government which, however, are easily accounted for by the fact of Mr Bennett having been biassed by the gross system of misrepresentation which was so perseveringly persisted in during the last eighteen months by portions of the local press. To conclude, the treatise contains a well condensed account of the colony in all its phases and departments up to the middle of 1842, with partial information to the end of that year, almost every statement being authenticated by accurate statistics. The following table of contents of the chapters shews the various subjects treated of.
1st. Geographical Position, Establishment, History.
2nd. Physical Aspect and Natural Productions, Animal, Vegetable, and mineral.
3rd. Climate.
4th. The native inhabitants.
5. Productive capabilities of the colony, progress.
6. Sheep and cattle farming.
7. Commercial matters.
8. Sketch of Adelaide and surrounding villages, colonial life and manners.
9. Information for emigrants.
We understand that Mr Bennett's book is on sale at Mr Platts's, and we may safely add that it contains a great deal of interesting and valuable information which will be new to many, even of the colonists, and which will amply warrant its purchase and perusal.
* London – Smith, Elder, & Co. Edinburgh – A. & C. Black.3
Bennett's book contains descriptions of South Australian life that correspond well with many of Gill's more generic illustrations. The rural life is particularly well described with its sheep, shepherds, dingoes and stockmen.
NLA's Nan Kivell Collection also includes a set of Gill wash drawings which can be linked to Bennett. The eight wash drawings, NLA R372 to R379,4 feature general South Australian scenes. R372 is inscribed Bennett on the reverse. (No other members of the set are inscribed. The inscription could have been made by Gill or, perhaps less likely, by a subsequent purchaser.)
The pictures are of a size and style that would have suited book publication, not as plates, but as illustrations within the text. A near identical view of Adelaide Gaol was so used in books by both Dutton (1846) and Sturt (1849).5
Including this one, Gill executed three sets of wash drawings of South Australian scenes illustrating aspects of the colony for an English audience.
The Bennett set is simpler in style and execution to the others and clearly lacks the refinement of the 1845 works for James Allen. Five drawings are captioned by the artist and feature his misplaced apostrophes and mis-spelling.
The inscription, general date and subject matter are evidence these drawings were likely for J.F. Bennett. Could Gill's pictures have been intended to illustrate Bennett's book in London? A problem with this hypothesis is that Frome Bridge, in one of the pictures, wasn't opened until five months after Bennett had sailed for Scotland. Judging by signature, style, simplicity and the relationship to similar building pictures for Allen, Gill drew this set somewhat earlier than those for Allen. It's likely Gill sketched these in early 1844, immediately after Bennett's return to Adelaide.
Bennett's book seems to have been an ongoing inspiration for Gill's typical South Australian scenes, perhaps none more so than his stockman – see that and sample images at S.T. Gill's Sets of South Australian Scenes.
After Bennett's return to Adelaide at the beginning of 1844, he was reappointed as assistant editor of the Register newspaper.6 It's likely Gill painted this set for Bennett around that time. Perhaps a second edition or another book was imagined but never realised.
In April 1845 Bennett became a shipping and commercial agent at Port Adelaide.7 He was last mentioned there in January 1853 by which time the gold rush had seriously disrupted commerce. Months later a New South Wales Supreme Court proceedings (for undelivered goods) alleged he'd left that colony.8 After a sufficiently safe silence, it became known Bennett was then in uniform in Scotland.
OLD COLONISTS. – We are informed by a letter recently received from England that our respected fellow-colonist Mr. J. F. Bennett, late of Port Adelaide, is now a Lieutenant in the 90th Militia, and is serving with his regiment in Stirling Castle.9
Bennett had presumably taken his set of South Australian scenes with him.
Some family history had identified a wife, Margaret Bryan, and at least two children, but had lost track of them.10
Listed in this group are:
Bennett, J. F. (James F.) "Historical and descriptive account of South Australia : founded on the experience of a three years' residence in that colony / by J.F. Bennett". Rex Nan Kivell Collection. 1843. Read online at Trove Digital Library.
1. South Australian Register, 5 March 1842: 2. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27443217>
2. South Australian Register, 3 January 1844: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27446269>
3. Southern Australian, 16 January 1844: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71628046>
4. The set was purchased by NLA on 13 March 1959 from B. C. J. G. Knight. (NLAref149629, 4 August 2021). Bert Cyril James Gabriel Knight (1904 - 1981), microbiologist, was also a curator of the University of London Library. (Zatman, L.J. in "Microbiology" Volume 129, Issue 5, May 1983, B. C. J. G. KNIGHT, 1904-1981, accessed 5 Jan 2022, <https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-129-5-1261>)
5. Hare's wood-block of the gaol was used in two books by London booksellers and publishers, T. & W. Boone. (1) Dutton, 1846, "South Australia and its Mines ...", 121. <https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433082451455&view=1up&seq=153&skin=2021> (2) Sturt, 1849, "Narrative of an expedition ...", 2:195. <https://digital.sl.nsw.gov.au/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=FL5761973&embedded=true&toolbar=false>. Accessed 6 Jan 2022.
6. South Australian Register, 24 January 1844: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27446423>
7. South Australian, 25 April 1845: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71601291>
8. Empire, 6 June 1853: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article61324861>
9. South Australian Register, 15 October 1855: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49297792>
10. Margaret Bryan. Irish Famine Memorial Sydney. Accessed 21 Jan 2022. <https://irishfaminememorial.org/details-page/?pdb=6833>
You can scroll down to see all pictures along with detailed notes or click a link to jump to a specific work from the list.
Kangaroos and grass tree | National Library of Australia R372
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1844~ | Appleyard cat. n/a
Catalogue: S.T. Gill's Set of South Australian Scenes - Bennett
This picture is of distinctive Australian fauna and flora: kangaroos and grass trees.
Kangaroos are described in Bennett (1843) 44. "Bennett" is inscribed on the reverse, this being the key to the identity of this set.
Gill captioned this vignette himself and misplaced an apostrophe. He signed not "S.T.G." but "S.T. Gill" – the only known occurrence of this signature style in his South Australian period.
111
Emus and she-oak tree | National Library of Australia R377
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1844~ | Appleyard cat. n/a
Catalogue: S.T. Gill's Set of South Australian Scenes - Bennett
This picture is of distinctive Australian fauna and flora: emus and a she-oak (casuarina) tree.
Gill captioned this vignette himself. The caption shows his problematic use of apostrophes.
Emus are mentioned in Bennett (1843) 46, 47.
116
Natives hunting opposums [i.e. opossums] | National Library of Australia R375
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1844~ | Appleyard cat. n/a | 12.3(H) x 17.1(W) cm
Catalogue: S.T. Gill's Set of South Australian Scenes - Bennett
This is a scene with three Aboriginal people – one climbing a tree to hunt a possum, while two (clothed) wait below.
Gill captioned this vignette himself with a spelling "variation".
This is the same subject as, and is close in time to, a (now unknown) picture Gill did for Eyre's book and which resulted in the plate "Opossum-hunting near Gawler Plains, drawn by E. Gill". This subject was published in illustration as early as 1813 in "Field sports &c. &c. of the native inhabitants of New South Wales" by John Heaviside Clark. In Clark's picture the Aboriginal people are smoking out the possum, but the scene is otherwise very similar. The possum hunting theme is one oft repeated by Gill.
"... opossums, which keep in the trees, either watched at night, when they come out to feed, or they are caught in the holes of trees, where they hide during the day. Sometimes the tree is set on fire, or a fire lighted at its root, until the animals are obliged to leave their holes, and they then fall under the unerring aim of the black hunter, who, with eagle eyes, watches at the foot of the tree." Bennett (1843) 61-62. (Bennett also uses a variant spelling, "oppussum", 44-45.)
114
Hut & sheep pens | National Library of Australia R376
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1844~ | Appleyard cat. n/a | 12.4(H) x 17.1(W) cm
Catalogue: S.T. Gill's Set of South Australian Scenes - Bennett
The scene is of two shepherds (probably a man and a boy), their hut and sheep pen. A plain or valley and mountains are in the background.
The picture is captioned in light pencil below - probably not by the artist - "Hut & sheep pens".
Sheep farming is described in Bennett (1843) 96-98: "The only erections at a squatting station are a turf or slab hut, or probably a tent. The hurdles for the sheep yards are moveable, and carried from place to place... The sheep are always driven at night into the pens, which are formed of movable hurdles, and the shepherd or hut-keeper, with his dog, sleeps in a movable box placed close to the fold. At sunrise the flock is counted out of the pens and sent out to graze, the shepherd attending them constantly until they return in the evening."
115
Wild dogs devouring sheep | National Library of Australia R373
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1844~ | Appleyard cat. n/a
Catalogue: S.T. Gill's Set of South Australian Scenes - Bennett
The scene is on a fenced rural property with what are likely intended to be "native dogs" (dingoes) killing or eating a sheep.
See also "Honeysuckle tree & native dog" (NLA NK7073/4).
The picture is captioned in light pencil below - probably not by the artist - "Wild dogs devouring sheep".
"The only animal found in Australia which is in any way troublesome, is a kind of jackall, called the native or wild dog; an animal very similar both in appearance and habits to the English Fox. Its attacks are always directed against the sheep and, and a considerable degree of vigilance is necessary to preserve them from its wiles. But there is no animal in South Australia which will attack a man - in fact the wild dog is the only animal against which the Settlers have in any way to guard. There is a pack of hounds in the colony, which the sporting gentleman at times amuse themselves with, in hunting the wild dog." Bennett (1843) 44.
112
Port Adelaide from the north side looking across Gawler Reach | National Library of Australia R379
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1844~ | Appleyard cat. n/a
Catalogue: S.T. Gill's Set of South Australian Scenes - Bennett
A view generally south along Hindmarsh Reach to Gawler Reach and Port Adelaide. Prominent are the South Australian Company stores (McLaren warehouse).
Port Adelaide is discussed in Bennett (1843) 114-116.
Map | S. T. Gill - Port Adelaide
118
H.M.S. Gaol, Adelaide | National Library of Australia R374
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1844~ | Appleyard cat. n/a
Catalogue: S.T. Gill's Set of South Australian Scenes - Bennett
This is a view of the gaol looking to the north. The gaol was built in 1841, as was the deep ditch at right draining the marshy ground to the river. At left is the Gaol Governor's house. The two towers (right) are on the east wall. In the foreground there appears to be stone left over following construction.
Soldiers march in the foreground; the army arrived in September 1841.
This wash is captioned "H.M.S. Goal" by the problematic speller and punctuator Gill.
The gaol is described in Bennett (1843) 126.
Map | S. T. Gill - Adelaide
113
Frome Bridge, Adelaide, S.A. | National Library of Australia R378
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1844~ | Appleyard cat. n/a
Catalogue: S.T. Gill's Set of South Australian Scenes - Bennett
Frome Bridge on the Torrens River opened on 18 August 1842. It was located on a bend opposite Pulteney Street. In the foreground is the rocky ford below the bridge, near which is a distinctive log from flood debris. (This ford is clearly marked on Delisser's 1861 map of Adelaide.)
This was Adelaide's main watering place, however this is Gill's only version of Frome Bridge not to include a water cart. A colonist is prominent in the left foreground.
(Frome Bridge was built after J.F. Bennett left for England.)
Map | S. T. Gill - Adelaide
117
Natives' Worley [i.e. wurley] | State Library of Victoria H3485
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1844~ | Appleyard cat. n/a | 8.7(H) x 12.8(W) cm
Catalogue: S.T. Gill's Set of South Australian Scenes - Bennett
The view is of a group of six Aboriginal people - including a mother and baby - and their wurley (shelter).
"Their dwellings or encampments consist of slight temporary erections, forming nothing more than a kind of break-weather. In summer, these huts or wurlies are composed of a few branches laid upon each other, forming a semicircle. In winter they are more particular with their dwellings. They erect a kind of hut similar to the half of a beehive, formed of branches, having the interstices filled up with bark, grass, and mud." Bennett (1843) 63.
80
Loaded dray going through the bush | State Library of Victoria H3486
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1844~ | Appleyard cat. n/a | 8.6(H) x 12.9(W) cm
Catalogue: S.T. Gill's Set of South Australian Scenes - Bennett
Two Aboriginal people - probably an adult and a child - stand in the foreground while a colonist drives a bullock dray loaded with watermelons. The load could be on the way to town in general or possibly to the Agricultural & Horticultural Show.
The annual Agricultural and Horticultural Society exhibition was held on 14 February 1844. "At six o'clock in the morning the drays and carts began to arrive with produce." Eight lots of watermelon and ten of sweet melon were on show, the entries coming from Walkerville, North Adelaide, Torrens, Mount Barker, Clifton and Reed Beds. (Southern Australian, 16 February 1844: 2. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71628328>)
"Melons of every description - than which a more delicious fruit could scarcely be found in a warm country - are produced in immense quantities, and of the richest flavour. Melons are in season from January till April and May, and may be bought from 2d. each, upwards. I have seen water melons weighing from forty to sixty pounds." Bennett (1843), 85-86.
"The luxury of the South Australian water-melon, must be enjoyed to be thoroughly appreciated, no description can do justice to it. All fruits are growing in the open air; the trees as standards, and the melon is now grown in fields: you see drays, drawn by two and four bullocks, coming into town early of a morning, with the melons piled up like the loads of cabbages sent to Covent Garden market. They are grown of immense size, 15 and 18 lbs. being quite common, which, during the season, would sell for 6d. each." (Dutton 1846, p. 229)
81
[Horsemen resting and horses tethered] | National Library of Australia NK7063/16
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1844~/1845~ | Appleyard cat. n/a | 14.6(H) x 18.1(W) cm
Catalogue: S.T. Gill and John Napier Magill
The scene is around sunrise or sunset and two men, wrapped in blackets, are beside a small camp fire. One appears to be asleep; the other sits up with pipe in one hand and gun in the other, watching over a clearing with their two tethered horses. A grass tree is in the foreground.
Bennett describes stockmen riding for days searching for stray cattle. "When night comes, the horse is unsaddled and turned out to graze; and the bushman, having made tea for himself in a tin mug or 'pannikin,' covers himself with his blanket, and with his saddle for a pillow, he takes himself to sleep under the nearest tree. He continues this course from day to day, until he has succeeded in fulfilling the purpose for which he set out, when he returns to the station." Bennett (1843) 100-101.
This work is captioned "Such I've thought on thee in the lone bush", perhaps by Magill to his beloved Elise Palmer.
This is a forerunner to Gill's "Night Camp" in "The Australian Sketchbook".
For more detail see the catalogue / main entry.
102
Turning out the sheep from the hurdle yard, early sunrise, shepherd leaving the hut | National Library of Australia NK6897/A
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1844-12~/1845-01-05 | Appleyard cat. n/a | 9.6(H) x 15.9(W) cm
Catalogue: S.T. Gill and John Napier Magill
The scene is of a shepherd and his dog sending the flock of sheep out from their hurdle yard in the early morning down to a plain or valley below.
The picture is signed and captioned below by the artist.
Sheep farming is described in Bennett (1843) 96-98.
"The sheep are always driven at night into the pens, which are formed of movable hurdles, and the shepherd or hut-keeper, with his dog, sleeps in a movable box placed close to the fold. At sunrise the flock is counted out of the pens and sent out to graze, the shepherd attending them constantly until they return in the evening." Bennett (1843) 97-98.
The same scene is shown in the set of eight drawings for J.F. Bennett: "Shepherd, hut and pens" (NLA R376).
For more detail see the catalogue / main entry.
264
David Coombe. Original February 2022. Updated 29 August 2025. | text copyright (except where indicated)
CITE THIS: David Coombe, 2022-2025, S.T. Gill's Set of South Australian Scenes – Bennett, accessed dd mmm yyyy, <https://coombe.id.au/S_T_Gill/S_T_Gill's_Set_of_South_Australian_Scenes_Bennett.htm>