South Australia Illustrated

Artist George French Angas painted some of the earliest views of South Australia. Arriving in Adelaide in January 1844, he rapidly set about an extensive series of journeys to the Murray Lakes, Barossa Valley, Fleurieu Peninsula and the South East, capturing his impressions of the young colony-its landscapes, its inhabitants and the flora and fauna.

After a trip to New Zealand he returned to South Australia in 1845 and travelled to Port Lincoln. With his impressive portfolio of water colours he then sailed for London and in 1847 published the magnificent folio South Australia illustrated, which has served ever since as a glowing snapshot of South Australia in 1844. The book contains 60 plates with accompanying text.

George French Angas (born 25 April 1822) was the eldest son of George Fife Angas, one of the men behind the establishment of the new colony of South Australia. However, the young Angas repudiated his father's world of commerce and determined upon a life involving art and nature, studying natural history art and lithography before embarking on his travels.

Angas was in Sydney when gold was discovered near Bathurst. He travelled there to record the diggings and executed a number of drawings of the scene. These were published in Sydney and subsequently in London. For a number of years he was the Secretary of the Australian Museum in Sydney and a noted conchologist.

He returned to South Australia in 1860, but ended his years in England where he published several books on Australia and Polynesia as well as illustrating accounts of exploration by John McDouall Stuart and John Forrest. He died in 1886.

Many of George French Angas's original watercolours are held in South Australian institutions: Art Gallery of South Australia; University of Adelaide; South Australian Museum; and Royal Geographical Society of South Australia.

Permission to use this item for any purpose, including publishing, is not required from the State Library under these conditions of use.

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