Angas, South Australia Illustrated, The Devil's Punch Bowl, near Mount Schank, Giclee

Archival limited edition giclee print ( /300) after the original hand colored lithograph Plate 34 by J.W. Giles after artist George French Angas for his ambitious publication "South Australia Illustrated".

Originally published in London between 1846 - 47, the hand coloured lithographic prints were sold to 200 subscribers, eager to see what this brave British prototype freely-settled colony had to offer after a decade of settlement. How many of those 200 original hand colored lithographs still exist has prompted issuing this high quality light-safe inkjet process printed on cotton conservation paper.

Size of Image= 25.7 x 33.6cm (10 1/4 x 13 1/3 inch)

Issued with Certificate /300

George French Angas: George French Angas was the son of London Financier George Fife Angas. He declined the opportunity to join the family firm being determined to follow his artistic nature. He ventured to the new Colony of South Australia in 1842 that his Baptist father had invested in by creating the South Australia Company. George French set about recording its wonders through commissions & offering his artist abilities to explorers. In 1844 the new Governor, Sir George Grey, ventured to the South East to Mount Gambier. The opportunity as expedition artist afforded the idea opportunity to record the incredible volcanic craters and elevation recorded by the Deputy Surveyor General also on the venture, Thomas Burr. All these opportunities were eventually a source for the 60 paintings that were sent back to his London publisher to be lithographed for "South Australia Illustrated". Both the crater lakes, Devil's Punch Bowl..." and "Mount Gambier..."  are used as sketches in the Governor's South East Expedition in 1844.

Accompanying text in "South Australia Illustrated":

“One of the most remarkable of the volcanic wells occurring in the neighbourhood of Mount Schank and Mount Gambier…was discovered by Mr Burr..May 1844…a vast circular cavity was discovered in the coral limestone, about 260 yards in circumference…a lake of pure fresh water, that looked black from its extreme depth.”

Mt Schank was first sighted by James Grant on 3 Dec 1800. It was names after Admiral John Schank who designed Grant’s Ship, HMS Lady Nelson. We now know that The South East is the youngest olcanic field in Australia, active approximately 5000 years ago.

Thomas Burr was the Deputy Surveyor General who measured the elevations of two volcanic mountains illustrated on the map of the expedition. Grey Writes in June 1844,”…and the enclosed sketch by Mr. F. Angas, a young artist who accompanied me, represents very faithfully one of the most remarkable of another species of craters, which are very numerous in this country and which are filled with fresh water, and are almost unfathomable”