Walter Preston was convicted of highway robbery in 1811 and transported to New South Wales for life the following year. In Sydney, assigned to brewer and printer Absalom West, he engraved the plates for Views of New South Wales, published by West in 1813 and 1814. Having re-offended, Preston was sent to the penal outpost at Mulubinba (Newcastle). The commandant there, James Wallis, later commissioned him to produce a series of twelve engravings of which this work – which includes a depiction of the Awabakal senior man Burigon (second from left) – is one. Preston's engravings were said to have been based on Wallis' drawings and engraved on plates made from 'copper employed in coppering the bottoms of ships'. Art historians, however, have speculated that images such as this one were based on originals by another convict artist, Joseph Lycett, who produced many images of Newcastle at Wallis' instigation. It is thought too that Lycett was able to create his remarkable depictions of Awabakal people and Country because Burigon accompanied him on his sketching trips. This work and the others in Preston's series were later published in Wallis' An Historical Account of the Colony of New South Wales.
Purchased 2013
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves.
Encompassing the 1820s to the 2020s, Time and Line showcases the depth and extent of our drawing collection.
Visit us, learn with us, support us or work with us! Here’s a range of information about planning your visit, our history and more!
