Port Adelaide

Plate 7: Port Adelaide. Part of the text accompanying the illustration reads 'The view given of Port Adelaide in the accompanying plate, is taken from the opposite bank of the harbour, looking towards the Mount Lofty Ranges: the red building to the left, is the South Australia Company's Store; fronting it, are their wharfs, and to the right, are those belonging to the Government. The ship moored in the stream, under repair, is the Ville de Bordeaux; she is a French vessel, and was captured by rhe Custom-house officers at the Port for their illicit trading. Outside the bar is a light ship, marking the entrance to the harbour, the approach to which has been admirably buoyed by Captain Lipson ...'

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 J.W. Giles from Angas' original painting.

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, nee French. He sailed for Australia in 1843 on the Augustus, reached Adelaide in January 1844, and 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.