Militia encampment at Sunbury

After the Crimean War, authorisation was given in August 1854 for the Australian colonies to raise volunteer forces. Fear of invasion also led to the establishment of forts at Queenscliff and Point Nepean to defend the nascent colony from possible attack.

When the first review of volunteer forces was held in Werribee on 1 April 1861, Nicholas Chevalier was on hand to record the scene of that first encampment. This painting was previously thought to depict the 1861 militia encampment, but depicts the review at Sunbury held in 1864.

Chevalier's recording of the Sunbury encampment was described in 'The Argus' of 18 April 1864: 'Mr Chevalier has just completed a medium-sized oil painting of the recent Sunbury encampment. A prettier scene than is afforded by the view of Jackson's Creek winding in the foreground by the white tents, standing in the space between two park-like tracts of country, the volunteers themselves brigaded to the right, with the Bald-hill and Mount Macedon for a background, is but seldom met with, even on canvas.'