david coombe history
SUMMARY: This article is an overarching outline of 1847 with links to catalogue articles on Gill's major efforts that year. This article also includes 1847 works not catalogued elsewhere.
Article type: NARRATIVE & CATALOGUE
In this article ...
Around early November 1846, after the Horrocks expedition, Gill took rooms in Leigh Street1 (see Gill Adelaide map) and was so listed in the 1847 Royal South Australian almanack and directory.2
Come the new year and Gill had a collection of Horrocks expedition pictures ready for raffle.
THE ARTS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. – Mr Gill has politely favored us with an inspection of his series of views, depicting the most remarkable scenes met with by the expedition under the conduct of the late Mr Horrocks. The series comprises no less than thirty-three views, the execution of which, as faithful transcripts of nature and in some instances of a territory untrodden by white men, reflects much credit on the talented artist ... This interesting series of pictures is to be raffled for in the course of a few days.
Gill's 33 works of the Horrocks' expedition were raffled and shown at the February 1847 Exhibition of Pictures.
The "Exhibition of Pictures, principally the works of artists residing in South Australia" was held in the Council Room, North Terrace, Adelaide, from 11 to 17 February 1847. The organising committee was chaired by Charles Sturt and had Charles Berkeley as secretary. (Martha Berkeley would show 14 works.) Gill initially co-ordinated entries.
The exhibition showed 178 pictures. Gill was the most prolific exhibitor with 62 entries, including his 33 work Horrocks series, five additional Horrocks related pictures and 24 more general works.
In February, George Hamilton, one of the exhibition artists, wrote an article "Fishing in South Australia". It's a good chance this is when Gill painted five little vignettes for Hamilton showing activities of Aboriginal people, especially fishing.
During the artists exhibition Sturt was condensing his expedition journal and an early draft was published over six newspaper pages on 13 February. This would culminate in his book book "Narrative of an Expedition into Central Australia ...".
Sturt and his family sailed for England on 7 May.
When did Gill have opportunity to paint for Sturt's "Narrative"? It's possible he could have done so in 1846 after Sturt returned to Adelaide in January and before Gill left with Horrocks in July. However it seems more likely that it was Gill's Horrocks pictures and their truthful representation of the northern landscapes that convinced Sturt to engage the artist. So it's likely Gill painted for Sturt between the exhibition and the sailing – between February and April 1847.
In April 1847 S.T. Gill sketched the Burra Burra Mine and its township Kooringa on behalf of the South Australian Mining Association (SAMA). He made a set of seven views. Several SAMA proprietors subsequently ordered copy sets.
In 1847, possibly around June, Gill painted a 16 picture series "The Seasons and The Months" for Lieutenant John Roe.
Other works in 1847:
To see the works, with accompanying notes, just scroll down or jump to the List of Works.
1. Cawthorne's diary, 7 November 1846. <https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/9gkdb3m9/PwDMBvzJ6kmz3>
2. Garran, Andrew and Allen, James. The Royal South Australian almanack and general directory ... Adelaide: J. Allen. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2883992230>
Scroll down to see the pictures along with detailed notes or click a link to jump to a specific work from the list.
45 Natives driven to the Police Court, by the Police for trespassing, 1845 | Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales SV/97
Artist: Gill or Cawthorne | Date: 1847-04~ | 31(H) x 45.6(W) cm
Main listing: S.T. Gill and W.A. Cawthorne
40 to 50 Aboriginal people were driven by the police to face court on 17 April 1847 accused of trespassing.
This unsigned watercolour is likely by Gill or his student WA Cawthorne. The foreground technique is more characteristic of Gill than it is of Cawthorne. (The style is also similar to FR Nixon but he had already left for Mauritius by the time of this event.)
On the reverse is a pencil sketch of a coastal scene with two-masted boat, lighthouse and buildings. This scene is similar to "Williams Town lighthouse and signal station ..." (as seen in an 1855 Gill lithograph). That lighthouse was completed in 1849.
583
Floraville, property of Wm. Younghusband, Esq. near Gawler | Art Gallery of South Australia 0.1546
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1847-07-09 | Appleyard cat. 28 | 26.7(H) x 40(W) cm
Catalogue: S.T. Gill - 1847
This is the house, garden and acreage of merchant William Younghusband. A (manual) harvest is finishing and cattle and horses graze the stubble. In the centre foreground, on a rise, an Aboriginal man, woman and baby sit with their net and implements and view the scene. In the background a bullock dray approaches the house. A cottage (right) has washing on the line.
Reverse inscription: W. Younghusband, Esq July 9th/47 (Appleyard)
Map | S. T. Gill - South eastern South Australia
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David Coombe. Original 16 November 2023. Updated 15 July 2025. | text copyright (except where indicated)
CITE THIS: David Coombe, 2023-2025, S.T. Gill - 1847, accessed dd mmm yyyy, <https://coombe.id.au/S_T_Gill/S_T_Gill_1847.htm>
