Painting of Port Adelaide Sailing Club by John Giles

Oil painting on board by John Giles of sailboats on the river near the Port Adelaide sailing club. John Giles worked as a tailor in Port Adelaide. He was enchanted by the Port River and spent his weekends with his paint box and easel capturing sail boats, ketches and steamers.
The Port Adelaide Sailing Club has a long history in South Australia. It was located in Jenkins Street, Birkenhead, alongside boat builders' yards and the naval slipway. Subsequently, the Birkenhead Bridge was built alongside. The yachts depicted are three or four sharpies and a twenty-one footer. It depicts Heather, one of the first heavyweight sharpies built in South Australia (built by Harry Perry Snr., a key figure in South Australian sailing). The painting links to the history of the Port Adelaide Sailing Club and is a fine example of the work of artist John Giles, a local painter who relished capturing life on the Port River