South Australian botany : native flowers

Plate 55: Illustration of ten native flowers. Named and described as : Murray lily (Crinum pedunculatum - centre); Garland lily (Calostemma purpureum - pink flowers, centre); Loranthus (top left); Rice flower (Pimelea - top, second from left); Corroea (top, right); pale colour variety of corroea (top, second from right); Fan flower (Scaevola - bottom left); Cranberry heath (Astroloma - bottom, second from left); Oxalis microphylla (bottom, second from right); Emu bush (Eremophila - bottom right).

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 an unattributed artist 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 on 25 April 1822 at Newcastle upon Tyne, England, fourth child and eldest son of George Fife Angas and his wife Rosetta, née French. He sailed for Australia in 1843 on the Augustus, reached Adelaide in January 1844, and joined Grey on his expedition and his paintings, published several years later in 'South Australia illustrated' and form a valuable record of the South Australian landscape before it was much changed by white settlement. Angas remained in South Australia until July when he left for New Zealand.

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