Views in Australia, or, New South Wales & Van Diemen's Land delineated ...

Joseph Lycett was convicted of forgery and sentenced in 1811 to transportation to Australia. He was placed at work in the police office as a clerk, but after forgeries of five shilling notes were found circulating in Sydney, they were traced to Lycett. He was convicted again of forgery and sent to Newcastle to labour in the coal mines.

However, when Captain James Wallis became commandant Lycett's artistic skills were put to better use. Lycett drew up the plans for a church and painted the altar piece. For this work he received a conditional pardon and during 1819-20 he drew and painted many private commissions including some for Governor Macquarie. The governor sent some of these including a large view of Sydney to Lord Bathurst in England. An absolute pardon followed as a reward, and in 1822 Lycett returned to England.

Here he published his Views in Australia. Issued over 12 months there were two aquatint views of New South Wales and two of Tasmania or Van Diemen's Land, together with text published each month. These could be had either plain or coloured. When the subscription publication was complete in 1825, Lycett sold the prints as a bound set. An advertised natural history series never eventuated.

Lycett's Views in Australia is a lavish and significant visualization of the British settlements in Australia, and also of the Aboriginal people of New South Wales. While the engraved plates show a tamed and Europeanised landscape perhaps more appealing to the purchasers, the original watercolours are more obviously Australian. It would be another generation before European artists were able to portray the Australian bush more accurately.

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