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AUSTRALIA. Two early drawings of settlers and aborigines in New South Wales, both by Robert Dixon, with their corresponding later published lithographs; and 2 others, c.1833-1835 (6) image 1
AUSTRALIA. Two early drawings of settlers and aborigines in New South Wales, both by Robert Dixon, with their corresponding later published lithographs; and 2 others, c.1833-1835 (6) image 2
AUSTRALIA. Two early drawings of settlers and aborigines in New South Wales, both by Robert Dixon, with their corresponding later published lithographs; and 2 others, c.1833-1835 (6) image 3
AUSTRALIA. Two early drawings of settlers and aborigines in New South Wales, both by Robert Dixon, with their corresponding later published lithographs; and 2 others, c.1833-1835 (6) image 4
AUSTRALIA. Two early drawings of settlers and aborigines in New South Wales, both by Robert Dixon, with their corresponding later published lithographs; and 2 others, c.1833-1835 (6) image 5
AUSTRALIA. Two early drawings of settlers and aborigines in New South Wales, both by Robert Dixon, with their corresponding later published lithographs; and 2 others, c.1833-1835 (6) image 6
Thumbnail of AUSTRALIA. Two early drawings of settlers and aborigines in New South Wales, both by Robert Dixon, with their corresponding later published lithographs; and 2 others, c.1833-1835 (6) image 1
Thumbnail of AUSTRALIA. Two early drawings of settlers and aborigines in New South Wales, both by Robert Dixon, with their corresponding later published lithographs; and 2 others, c.1833-1835 (6) image 2
Thumbnail of AUSTRALIA. Two early drawings of settlers and aborigines in New South Wales, both by Robert Dixon, with their corresponding later published lithographs; and 2 others, c.1833-1835 (6) image 3
Thumbnail of AUSTRALIA. Two early drawings of settlers and aborigines in New South Wales, both by Robert Dixon, with their corresponding later published lithographs; and 2 others, c.1833-1835 (6) image 4
Thumbnail of AUSTRALIA. Two early drawings of settlers and aborigines in New South Wales, both by Robert Dixon, with their corresponding later published lithographs; and 2 others, c.1833-1835 (6) image 5
Thumbnail of AUSTRALIA. Two early drawings of settlers and aborigines in New South Wales, both by Robert Dixon, with their corresponding later published lithographs; and 2 others, c.1833-1835 (6) image 6
Lot 14
AUSTRALIA
Books, Maps, Manuscripts and Photographs
13 November 2012, 14:00 GMT
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £3,500 inc. premium

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AUSTRALIA

DIXON (ROBERT) Two early drawings of settlers and aborigines in New South Wales, with their corresponding later published lithographs, the first showing 'A View of Gummun Plains & Liverpool Range N.S. Wales/ Taken from Brindley Park', 1835, showing white settlers in their tent, aborigines tending the camp fire, with hunters and cattle beyond; the second 'A View from Camden on the River Nepean N.S. Wales', 1835, showing two white settlers in their tent, with horses and cattle beyond and an aborigine family, both later lithographed (with minor variants and adjustments) by Webb & Son of Smiths Place, Snow Hill, London, in 1837, the first drawing in pencil on tracing paper laid onto a larger sheet, the second in pen, ink and grey wash on laid-down paper, both captioned in the same contemporary hand (presumably that of the artist), the first inscribed lower left "Taken by R D 1835" (last digit indistinct and possibly a 6 or 8), the drawings 2 pages, some wear especially at the edges of the first, 190 x 195mm., and 180 x 300mm., New South Wales, [1835]; together with two other lithographs from the same publishers, 'King Teapot & His two Gins' after T.B., 1833, and 'An Exploreing Party on the River Bogen' after T.B., 1833 (6)

Footnotes

Robert Dixon (1800-1858) came from the prominent family of Darlington surveyors that included Jeremiah Dixon, of Mason-Dixon Line fame and John Dixon, surveyor of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway. He had first arrived in Van Diemen's Land in 1821, and in 1826 was appointed Assistant Surveyor in the Surveyor-General's Department, and carried a number of important and hazardous expeditions to the Southern Districts of New South Wales, the Burragorang Valley, Blue Mountains, Grose Valley, Goulburn Plains, the site of present-day Canberra, Upper Hunter and New England districts, the mountain ranges between the Lachlan and Macquarie Rivers, and then followed the then unexplored Bogan River for 108 kilometres – during which the present sketches were made. He returned to England on urgent business in 1836, presumably taking the present drawings with him and taking the opportunity to have them published. He returned to Sydney in 1838. (For further details, see the Dictionary of Australian Biography). See illustrations overleaf.

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