Giclée, Adelaide, city scenes, Government House, North Terrace, colonial, South Australia, F.R.Nixon, 1845

"Government House and Part of North Terrace, East View, from a sketch by F.R.Nixon, 1845"

Size of image = 13.8 x 19.6 cm ( 51/2 x 72/3 inch)

Archival Limited Edition Giclee from an original tri-tint lithograph for “12 Views of Old Adelaide from Sketches in 1840-1849” published by E.S.Wigg & Son in 1886 after the sketch by Frederick Robert Nixon in 1845. Limited to 300 images and issued with a cumbered certificate inclusive of relevant historical context.

Limited Edition Archival quality Giclee after an original chromolithograph Wigg & Son in 1886 from Original Sketch by F.R Nixon of Adelaide in 1845. The Scene features the Government House, home of the third Governor of South Australia,  Captain George Grey 1841-1845. The white building is to the right. The architecture has two stories with eleven large 8-paned windows (4 of them shutters closed) with a sweeping carriage way. Two Formally attire gentlemen in Top Hats  walk towards the artist on the carriageway, possibly towards the horse and carriage that waits with driver by the front door.  In the far distance, just left of the the building we can see a windmill. That could be the first Windmill built on on Lot 464 close to Wright Street built by baker, Job Gould Malin on 1842/seven building can be seen scanning right of windmill sails. Closer to the artist on the right, just beyond a picket fence, is a signalling flag pole. As the Colonel Light's Town Plan was six miles from Port Adelaide, a series of signalling pole were built along the Port Road to identify the name of ships in port. This would have been a substantial time-saver for city-dwelling inhabitants! In the middle foreground an emu runs from right to left.

Other Giclee prints by F.R. Nixon in this series available: South Australian Company's Mill, Hindley Street, Looking West, Port Adelaide

Frederick Robert Nixon (1817-1860), Draughtsman/Surveyor, Miller, Artist & Policeman

Originally this series of sketches was printed in chromo-lithography after the artist, Frederick Robert Nixon. Nixon arrived on the "Trusty" in May, 1838. He was briefly appointed assistant surveyor  on Colonel William Light's Survey team only to resign within months due to a disagreement with Deputy-Surveyor, George Kingston (father of future Premier Charles Cameron Kingston) along with most of the other staff. Thankfully, the issue was resolved. Nixon remained in the government's employment until he was to leave with a "female friend" for Mauritius in 1848. In the meantime, he utilized his skills as an etcher, cartoonist, journalist and sketcher to record the local cultural scenes as sketches & cartoons. These he contributes to local newspapers and magazines. In 1841 he purchased land near Hahndorf, where in in 1843 he built the second windmill in South Australia. In November 1845 he joined the Police Force. The Mounted Police had been formed on 28 April 1838 after concerns about felons entering the new settlement from neighboring colonies. Mr. Nixon was a man of many talents it would seem.