The Wallis album

Previously unknown, the discovery and acquisition of a fascinating album compiled by Captain James Wallis reveals the artistic contributions and working relationship of two key players in late Macquarie-era New South Wales: James Wallis (1785? - 1858) and Joseph Lycett (ca. 1775 - 1828)

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View of a river landscape with five cut out pasted down drawings of five standing Aborigines, ca. 1818
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Captain James Wallis, commandant of the secondary penal settlement at Newcastle from 1816 to 1818, built many of Newcastle’s early landmark buildings, and developed an association with convict artist, Joseph Lycett.

Originally transported for forgery, Lycett was sent to Newcastle in 1815 after re-offending in Sydney. Together, Wallis and Lycett were two principal documenters and promoters of the colony during the late Macquarie years. Their association has, for many years, been one of early Australian colonial art's great attribution puzzles.

In New South Wales in 1819, Wallis published a set of engraved views showcasing New South Wales to the world. This book of illustrations was republished in London by Ackermann in 1821. A major achievement, the views were about the success of British enterprise in NSW, and not unnaturally focused on the achievements of Wallis. In both publications, Wallis firmly asserted his authorship via a legend beneath the images: 'from an Original Drawing by Capt Wallis'. Until the discovery of this album, the original drawings on which the engravings are based were thought to have been lost. Consquently, the artist of the drawings has always been contentious, as Lycett has a similar artistic style.

Included in the Library's Wallis album, however, are original drawings for five of these published views each bearing the inscription: 'Drawn by a Convict'. This clearly establishes Lycett, rather than Wallis, as the artist of the original drawings.

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A View of the Cove and Part of Sydney, New South Wales, ca. 1818
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Wallis and Lycett's association extended to other artistic enterprises, notably the Macquarie collector's chests, two of the most beautiful pieces of early 19th century Australiana. Both are held in the collections of the State Library of New South Wales.

The Wallis album includes a watercolour drawing, titled 'The Fish of New South Wales', with exactly those varieties of fish depicted in panels for the chests, painted by Lycett.

Four previously unknown drawings by Wallis of Awabakal people from the Newcastle district, as well as portraits of Aboriginal brothers Dick and Burigon are preserved in the album. Until the emergence of this album the only known drawings by Wallis were predominantly English and Irish views, made later in his life, and acquired by the library in 2006. Only one other Australian drawing by Wallis, a view of the Hawkesbury, is known to exist, and is held in a private collection.

Each of the four drawings attributed to Wallis show groups of Awabakal Aboriginal men and women and scenes from the Newcastle area, including Nobby's beach. The naively drawn Aboriginal figures have all been cut-out and pasted into a background landscape view. Another page includes portrait drawings of Aboriginal brothers Dick and Burigon, inscribed '2 Natives of New South Wales', men whom Wallis knew personally. He wrote about them in a reminiscence of his days in Newcastle in a manuscript (PXD 1008) now also held by the Library.

Discovered in Ontario, Canada as part of a deceased estate, the Wallis album was purchased at auction by the State Library of New South Wales in October 2011.