The greatest wonder in the world

‘The greatest wonder of the world’ was the description given to the world’s largest specimen of reef gold which was discovered by Bernhardt Holtermann at nearby Hill End in 1872. Within months of the find the mining settlement was transformed into one of the largest inland towns in New South Wales. But, by the 1880s most of the gold had been found and the community went into terminal decline. Apart from contemporary press reports little was known of the appearance of Hill End until a large cache of glass plate negatives were discovered in a garden shed owned by the Holtermann family in Chatswood in 1951.

Hand coloured photo of James Jaye's
tinsmith shop in Bathurst (1873)
Holtermann collection, State Library of NSW

It soon became apparent to historians that these 3,500 negatives – known as the Holtermann Collection - were the work of travelling photographers Beaufoy Merlin and Charles Baylis of the American and Australasian Photographic Company who visited Hill End and other Central Tablelands mining towns in the early 1870s.

Short Street, Hill End (1872) 
Holtermann collection, State Library of NSW

Recent developments in computer digital imaging have allowed the State Library of NSW to scan the Holtermann Collection images so they can be clearly enlarged to gallery size prints. A sample of these astonishing images is now on view at the State Library of New South Wales in Macquarie Street, Sydney, until 12th May 2013. Works at The greatest wonder of the world show include house and street scenes of Sydney, Bathurst, Hill End and Gulgong. There are also images of other local mining communities such as Home Rule and Canadian Lead.

As well as the images of the mine workings and the townscapes there are also many studio portraits  of the diverse residents of these communities. These include family portraits as well as images of children. My favourite child portrait is of a bewildered looking boy named August Gondolf who is seated on a tricycle. One sad image is a post-mortem photograph of an infant girl laid out with flowers in preparation for her funeral.

Studio portrait of August Gondolf
Holtermann collection, State Library of NSW

This exhibition will delight all with an interest in nineteenth century Australian history. Make time to visit this free exhibition next time you are in Sydney.

Exhibition opening hours:

9 am to 5 pm Monday to Thursday (Tuesdays open until 8 pm), 9 am to 5 pm Friday, 10am to 5 pm weekends
Closes 12th May 2013

www.sl.nsw.gov.au

Robert Johnson: pioneer landscape painter of the Capertee Valley

While not the first artist to paint in the district, Robert Johnson (1890-1964) can be credited in making the Capertee Valley a popular painting spot with other 20th century landscape artists. 

Photo of Robert Johnson by Lionel Lau

William Robert Johnson was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and later trained at the Elam School of Art. He served with the New Zealand armed forces in Europe during the Great War. In 1920 he married Olive Phillipson, and she later became known as a watercolourist who also painted in the Valley. In 1921 Johnson and his wife settled in Sydney, and they lived during the interwar years at Eastwood.

From the 1920s to 1950s Johnson was an occasional visitor to the area, and while here he produced many fine oils, watercolours and drawings. Capertee works include (among others) the following titles: Glen Alice Store; Brymair Station, Capertee Valley; Tambo Station, Capertee; and Morning near Glen Davis. Many of his Capertee Valley images were shown at Johnson's many solo exhibitions, and one of his oils, Capertee Cliffs (1947), was purchased for the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

River Bed, Capertee Valley, by Robert Johnson

Like many landscape painters, Johnson found inspiration in many different areas of the world. As well as his Capertee Valley images he is known to have painted all around New South Wales, central Australia, the Northern Territory, as well as his home land of New Zealand.

Early Morning, Glen Alice, Capertee Valley, N.S.W. 
Undated oil by Robert Johnson (private collection)

As well as his many one-man shows, Johnson was also a regular exhibitor with the Royal Art Society of NSW (RAS). During the 1950s he was elected a Fellow of the RAS and served as joint Vice President of the group. His memorial exhibition catalogue in 1964 included an introduction from the then Prime Minister, Robert Menzies.

We are keen to locate more of Johnson's Capertee images. If you know of any do get in touch.