Flinders’ map of Port Phillip Bay
Posted: February 28, 2013 Filed under: exploration, maps | Tags: Australian explorers, Cape Laptrap, Cape Otway, cartography, Matthew Flinders, Mauritius 1 CommentBecause everybody loves a good map.
Courtesy of the State Library of Victoria and Matthew Flinders who drew the original in 1802, this shows the coast of Victoria from Cape Otway to Cape Laptrap.
The Sydney Gazette reported the death of Matthew Flinders thus, over a year after his death in England and via a Calcutta Gazette. Not exactly a fitting way to remember the man responsible for mapping the continent.
From among the accounts of Europe Deaths we extract the following from a Calcutta Gazette:—Cap. MATTHEW FLINDERS, of the Royal Navy; greatly lamented by his Family and Friends. This Gentleman’s fate, has been hard as it has been eventful. Under the direction of The Admiralty, he sailed upon a Voyage of Discover to Terra Australis, where, after prosecuting successfully the purposes of his voyage, he had the misfortune to run upon a coral rock, and lose his ship; out of the wreck he constructed a small vessel that carried him to the Mauritius, where, shocking to relate, instead of being received with kindness, as is the practice of civilized nations to nautical discoverers, he was put in prison by the Governor, De Caen, and confined for six years and a half, which brought upon him maladies that have hastened his death. Fortunately for mankind and his own fame, he survived a few days the finishing of the printing of the account of his voyage.
picture palaces: Imperial Picture Pavilion in Lutwyche
Posted: February 26, 2013 Filed under: advertising, cinema | Tags: Humoresque, Imperial Picture Pavilion, Lutwyche, picture palaces Leave a commentThis is the Imperial Picture Pavilion at Lutwyche in Brisbane – photo by F W Theil – copyright expired.
On Friday 1 April 1922 Brisbane residents could have made their way by the Kedron Park tram or car (plenty of standing room for motors) to this cinema to see the silent film “Humoresque”. This pavilion of moving pictures provided room under cover for 1500 people.

Image per films-muets.blogspot.com.au
Musical accompaniment to the film was provided by Mrs Lambert Knight on piano and Miss Allen on violin. There’s a review of the film here at Cinema Becomes Her by Allison McCulloch. Not to be confused with the 1946 version (with sound and colour) starring Joan Crawford and John Garfield.
predictions: olive trees will grow well in Western Queensland
Posted: February 25, 2013 Filed under: agriculture | Tags: Charleville, D A O'Brien, J P Thomson, olives, Royal Geographical Society of Queensland Leave a commentAt the bottom of this Courier Mail par (17 April 1940) about a meeting of The Royal Geographical Society of Queensland, there’s a mention of a lantern lecture by Mr D A O’Brien. He predicted that Charleville in Western Queensland could become one of the greatest olive-growing centres in the world.
Yes – they are growing olives in Charleville today. Watch out world!
from floor covering to art form
Posted: February 22, 2013 Filed under: artists, household products | Tags: Frederick Walton, Irena Sibley, lino-cuts, linoleum, linseed oil Leave a commentFrom the Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser of 7 October 1865 is a comprehensive article on linoleum – its characteristics and manufacture – a year after Frederick Walton established the Linoleum Manufacturing Company. I’m guessing that Frederick couldn’t have imagined the artistic opportunities that he opened up with oxidising linseed oil.
These paper samples of linoluem design are held by The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. Their story is attached to Museum’s record.
Linoleum as a floor covering provided opportunities for designers and artists to create a wide range of patterns to go underfoot. Decades later, lino cutting emerged as a craft then an art form.
From Wikipedia, here’s a great example of modern lino cut work from Irena Sibley – When the Sun Took the Colours Away – 1992. Creative Commons Attribution.
Ida Rentoul – illustrator
Posted: February 21, 2013 Filed under: artists, illustration, Trove Australia | Tags: Ida Outhwaite, Ida Rentoul, SS Ormonde Leave a commentIda Rentoul Outhwaite was an illustrator whose work graced galleries as well as children’s books and poetry written by her equally creative sister Annie Rentoul and others. Fairies, witches and ethereal scenes were her stock in trade. There’s a summary of her illustrative work here at ortakales.com.
Ida exhibited often in Europe during the 1920s. This photo from The Age – 10 Feb 1925 is of Ida and her husband returning to Australia on the SS Ormonde.
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