State Library of South Australia

Overlanders crossing cattle over the River Murray [B 70379] • Photograph

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Summary

A watercolour painting entitled 'Overlanders crossing cattle over the River Murray in the Year 1839. Drawn by G. Hamilton an overlander'. The painting shows men, both on horses and foot, together with dogs and recalcitrant cattle at the bottom of one of river's cliff; another part of the mob is visible at the top of the cliff. Hamilton made sketches throughout the trip, which is described in his 'Experiences of a Colonist Forty Years Ago and a Journey from Port Phillip to South Australia in 1939 by an Old Hand'; this painting may have been done en route or after he arrived in Adelaide using his sketches.

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Physical description

Artwork (watercolour, landscape); 17.7 cm x 26.9 (image); 38.5 cm x 48.7 cm x 2.3 cm

Dates / Publication details

1839

Artist

Hamilton, George

Collection

Part of Artwork Collection

Subject

Art, Australian
Painting, Australian 19th century
Murray River (N.S.W.-S.A.) -- In art

Catalogue record

Return to catalogue

Historical information

A note accompanying the painting reads: 'This is from 'The story of Australian Art' by William Moore. 'A member of a Hertforshire family, George Hamilton came to Australia when he was a young man, and made his first appearance at Adelaide during 1839, when he overlanded a mob of cattle from Port Phillip. A lover of horses, he rode in a race on the day he arrived. After following mercantile pursuits he entered the civil service in 1848 and rose to the position of commissioner of Police, which he held from 1867 till his retirement in 1882. He was one of the original members of the Adelaide Club, founded in 1863. Beside his pictures of bush and sporting subjects, he contributed illustrations to the Journals of Grey & Eyre. His 3 volumes, The Horse: Its Treatment in Australia, Melbourne 1866; An Appeal for the Horse, Adelaide 1866; and Experience of a Colonist Forty Years ago, Adelaide 1879, are illustrated with his own drawings.' Hamilton exhibited in Adelaide's first two art exhibitions, five of his drawings were engraved for Eyre's 'Journal of Discovery into Central Australia', and others were used to illustrate the published journal of Grey.

Digitisation information

Date

29/07/2009

Format

image/tiff

Resolution

4,012 x 2,648 pixels (10.6 MP)

Size

31.90 MB

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