Plate 33: Currakalinga, looking over St. Vincent's Gulf. Part of the text accompanying the illustration reads 'This view is taken from the rocky hills near Mr Kemmis's Station, to the northward of Rapid Bay: looking across the Gulf, beyond which the low shores of Yorke's Peninsula are just visible. The course of the river Currakalinga ... is seen winding amidst gum trees, until it discharges itself into the Gulf between hills of sand. The undulating appearance of the country here represented, together with the singular manner in which the trees are dotted about in all directions over the landscape, will convey a tolerable idea of much of the scenery of this portion of Australia ... the hills here are micaceous schist ... the trees in this scene are principally 'casuarinae' or she-oak, with 'eucalptus' near the water; in the foreground are several of the common grey kangaroo, feeding amongst the roots on the hill side'.

This is one of 60 coloured lithographs found in the 1847 edition of 'South Australia Illustrated' by colonial artist George French Angas, together with a descriptive passage for each. The lithograph was created by J.W. Giles from Angas' original painting. The date assigned is assumed to be approximately when the lithographs were created; the original paintings were done in earlier years.

George French Angas (1822-1886), naturalist and painter, was born at Newcastle upon Tyne, England. He was the eldest son of George Fife Angas, one of the men behind the establishment of the new colony of South Australia. 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. He sailed for Australia in 1843 in the Augustus, reached Adelaide in January 1844.

In July 1844 Angas left the colony for New Zealand. He returned to South Australia in January 1845 and remained for six months. During the visits to South Australia, Angas travelled with William Giles to the area in the vicinity of the mouth of the River Murray, and accompanied Governor (Sir) George Grey to the south-east of the province, Kangaroo Island and Port Lincoln. Angas recorded these journeys in water-colour drawings which were shown in the Legislative Council Chamber in Adelaide in June 1845.

Angas, George French, 1822-1886

Colwell, M and Alan Naylor. Adelaide: an illustrated history [Joslin, S. Aust.]: McP, 1981

Insights into South Australian history vol. 2: 'South Australia's German history and heritage', Harmstorf, Ian A. ed. Adelaide: Historical Society of South Australia, 1992-

Kwan, Elizabeth Living in South Australia: a social history Netley, S. Aust.: South Australian Government Printer, 1987

Tregenza, John George French Angas, artist, traveller and naturalist, 1822-1886 Adelaide: Art Gallery Board of South Australia, 1982

Australian Dictionary of Biography Online EditionSee: Angas, George French

Pictures Catalogue National Library of Australia

PictureAustralia