Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone piece. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips

Kerosene lamp with cast iron base hand painted blue and green trim with red flowers and green petals. Amber glass font with brass collar & burner, complete with wick and glass chimney.Wick winder reads P&A Risdon MFG Co Danbury CT Made in USAlighting, kerosine & oil, kerosene, u4.705

Ribbed wooden frame painted cream with an oil painting of red and white poppies on glass.artwork, oil painting, on glass

The 'Bendigo Flee' car. Black and white photograph of a small van, possibly 1930s, with white painted words and phrases on the chassis. Include Bendigo, Sydney, Bathurst, Brisbane - Nothing but the best for the best, Atlantic is trouble free - the Artful Dodger - Sad Pat & Mick fill her up with Atlantic - Bertie the Bitza the one and only. Possibly involved in a motor rally sponsored by Atlantic Oil. On the reverse is printed in blue ink- Use Atlantic. See research field.bendigo, tourism, postcard, motor rally. atlantic union oil company., bendigo flee

Oil painting by J.B.Perry of Golden Mile Eaglehawk. Poppett Heads. Mining sheds. Duchess Tribute. G.M.Co. Painted in grey and brown oil colours. Markings on back: Golden Mile Eaglehawk. An original in oils from an early black & white photo by John. B. Perry. DR 277. Num 21.J.B. Perryplace, building, gold mining site

Small tin plate wall hanging kerosene lamp with Eagle burner & circular reflector, painted dark red, missing chimeny.Eagle wick winder reads made in USA P&A MFG Colighting, kerosine & oil, kerosene

Kerosene wall lamp with reflector, painted pink, reservoir in base of lamp with commercially made burner.lighting, kerosine & oil, kerosene, old cat number k83

Small wooden handcrafted set of drawers; drawers enclosed in a 'Shell oil' box. On ends of box, printed in black 'Shell' and 'The British Imperial Oil Company Limited' ' 8 Imperial gallons, motor spirit' Small handcrafted drawers are set in the box. Six small drawers, with four wooden knobs, one metal and one loop of wire acting as a drawer pull. Drawers are made from repurposed boxes. One drawer has label of box on side ' Leggo's of Bendigo, Self Raising Roller Flour', parts of label missing 'Good cheap cake' recipe partly visible. On top of drawers, white paint tin stain.

The Corona Paint Company Pty. Ltd. Bendigo was formed in November 1920 with £10,000 capital, in £1 shares. By July 1921, the Company had completed its factory and plant at Bendigo East, ready to begin the manufacture of paints. The Corona Paint works were opened on Saturday 28 January by the Prime Minister (Mr. Hughes) during a visit to Bendigo. Many new manufacturing industries were opened during this time after calls to address the decline of mining in the region. The factory of the CORONA PAINT COMPANY, BENDIGO, was advertised for sale in The Argus on 5 October 1923. It consisted of a “building on a railway siding, plant and machinery, including dry grinding plant, kalsomine mixer, paint mill, furnace, electric motor, etc., large stores of raw and finished material, kalsomine with range of 21 colours, oil paints, &c.”A cast iron embossing press. It's painted black with gold coulered floral decorations. The base is 18 centimetres long, nine centimetres wide and one and a half centimetres thick. A curved protrusion rises from the base that is eight centimetres by four centimetres which narrows to four centimetres by two and a half centimetres with a three-quarter centimetre wide slot. Inside the slot is a lever action with a ten centimetre by two and a half centimetre wooden handle. There is a removeable die on the end of the lever and an opposite removeable die the base. A small oval metal disc with paten no 3965 on is attached. The seal is The Corona Paint Company proprietary Limited seal embossing press, corona paint company

Print of an oil painting by Eugene von Guerard called 'I have got it ', painted in 1854. It depicts a mining camp in the bush, there are several tents in the background and two men using windlasses, in front of these there is a digger posing with a gold dish with gold visible at the base of the dish. Behind him there is a wooden tub and bucket, with a spade resting in the tub. This painting is from a collection at the State Library of Victoria.Eugene von Guerardpainting, oil, mining, oil painting, i have got it, eugene von guerard

a. Assam silk fabric from Basil Watson's plane (portion); has oil protective coating. Stylised initials 'BW' painted in grey and black. Irregular shaped portion; b. typed display card to accompany this item.aviation, civilian, fabric

12 small handwritten, interpretive labels for display (re Basil Watson) - presumably to accompany an exhibition of Basil Watson memorabilia (no date) Labels: fabric with monogram from original plane; finished plane; airmail envelopes 1929-30; Basil Watson Bendigo's first aviator,; first Australian to loop the loop; picture of the delivery of the first letter carried by air in Australia. Flown from Melbourne to Bendigo and delivered by the late Mr. Basil Watson of Melbourne, to his cousin Mr. Keith Munro of Bendigo, at 5.15 p.m. on Wednesday, November 29th. 1916, at the Bendigo racecourse. Envelope: handwritten on front of envelope 'Assam silk material used in covering the wings and fuselage of Basil Watson's airplane built by him in 1916. The wings and fuselage were then painted with an oil protective covering'person, individual, basil watson

Piece of cream-coloured silk, no markings, from Basil Watson's biplane, in construction stage. Handwritten note states : 'Assam silk material used in covering the wings and fuselage of Basil Watson's airplane built by him in 1916. The wings and fuselage were then painted with an oil protective covering'person, individual, basil watson

Daryl Lindsay was born and grew up in Creswick, one of the famous Lindsay family of artists. He had a love of horses and this was his favourite. He often did portraits of horses for famous owners.Daryl Lindsay became a noted international artist and the Director of the National Gallery of Victoria. He had a very considerable influence on Australian art, particularly from the 1940s to the 1970s.Oil painting on canvas by Daryl Lindsay of his favourite horse, "Pompey".Signed Daryl Lindsay on front. On the back is written "Daryl Lindsay painted his favourite horse Pompey c. 1930 at Mulberry Hill, Baxter. Presented to the Creswick Museum by Joan Lindsay May 1977.daryl lindsay, painting, horse, pompey, creswick, ngv

The picture on the tile is a reproduction of the painting "The Mill at Wijk bij Duurstede" which was painted around 1670 by the Dutch painter Jacob Isaacksz vab Ruysdael (1628-1682)Souvenir type item, likely purchases at the souvenir shop of the (Dutch) Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.Tile with colour print of of Dutch landscape in gold with black line frame protected on back with cardboard nailed to frameCardboard at back of of frame has text " Jacob Isaacksz van Ruisdael 1628-1682. "The Mill at Wijk bij Duurstede" (painted about 1670). Original size 32 5/8 " x 39 3/4" Oil on Canvas (note this is about 892x1009mm) Held in Rijksmuseum at Amsterdamtile dutch painter

Born: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia 1836; Died: Hunter's Hill, New South Wales, Australia 1914RomanticismLedger Gift, 1976Rural landscape with cows, track, lake and large mountains and clouds. Golden gesso painted timber frame.Recto: Signed "W. C. Piguenit" in black oil in l.l.c of composition; Not dated; Not titledpainting, landscape, water, animals, cows, boats, trees, mountains, clouds, sky, colonial, reflections

Born: Creswick, Victoria, Australia 1870; Died: North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1952ImpressionismGift of Wooleen Pty. Ltd., 1980Bush and urban landscape with figures, trees and water. Gold brushed and painted timber frame.Recto: Signed "Percy Lindsay" in red oil in l.l.c of composition; Not dated; Not titledpainting, seascape, landscape, figures, trees, buildings, women, child

Born: Annandale, New South Wales, Australia 1911; Lived and worked: England and France 1937-1940; Died: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1946InterwarGift of Wooleen Pty. Ltd., 1980Rural landscape with trees, grass, road and hills. Antique cream painted timber frame.Recto: Signed "Eric Wilson" in red oil in l.r.c of composition; Not dated; Not titled painting, landscape, tree, hills, road, sheep, animals

Born: Edinburgh, Scotland c.1818; Arrived: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia c.1867; Died: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1900VictorianGift of Mrs E.E. Ledger, 1985Rural landscape with dirt track, narrow stream, trees and steep mountains. Gold brushed and painted timber frame.Recto: Signed and dated “J H Carse / 1866” in brown oil, l.r.c of composition; Not titled painting, landscape, mountains, river, clouds, sky, trees

14A Built in 1914 and painted Canadian red & dark brown, this locomotive was issued to the Colac to Crowes line and saw service on all four lines, but mostly on the Colac to Crowes line. It was withdrawn from service in 1962 at Colac and sent to Newport Workshops for storage where it remained, except for a brief time at Bendigo North Work-shops in 1963. After overhaul, it was brought to Belgrave in 1965 where it has seen almost continuous service since. In 1978, it became the first of the preserved NA’s to trial a historic colour scheme for which the Canadian red & dark brown was chosen, but ended up mistakenly being painted a “London Tan” & dark brown. In 1996 it received a more correct Canadian red livery. This “temporary” trial livery has now given way to 14A’s designated livery of all-over black. Its physical configuration will match the late 1940s era with the extended bunker, guard irons, etc. Loco: 14A In service Thursday, 25th June 1914 Withdrawn April 1962 Livery Canadian red & dark brown Owner Puffing Billy Gauge 762mm / 2' 6" Status Preserved - Operational - Converted to running on Light Oil in 2018 Service History: Jun 1914 - Colac - initial allocation of a new locomotive Jun 1914 - May 1921 Colac Aug 1921 - UFTG. Sep 1921 - Feb 1923 Moe May 1923 - Apr 1927 Colac Jul 1927 - Apr 1929 UFTG. Apr 1929 - May 1932 Other May 1932 - Nov 1934 Moe Dec 1934 - Jan 1940 Wangaratta Jun 1940 - Workshops Oct 1940 - Mar 1947 Colac May 1948 - Nov 1960 Colac - Stored Apr 1962 - Jul 1962 Workshops - Stored Dec 1965 - Belgrave - In active service at Puffing Billy Railway Belgrave Victorian Railways - Narrow Gauge NA class steam locomotive number 14A Dates that 14A worked on the Gembrook Line Aug-1921 to Sep-1921 Jul-1927 to Apr-1929 Dec-1965 - Returned to service Oct-1977 - Transferred to ETRB ownership Steam Locomotive with wrought iron frame with cast iron cylinders - Converted to running on Light Oil in 201814Apuffing billy, 14a, victorian railways, narrow gauge, steam locomotive

Jacqui Seal was the daughter of the Australian Army Intelligence Officer in Camp 13, Captain Stanley L. Seal. and sometimes visited her father in camp. Mueller asked to paint Jacky her father agreed, and Mueller presented the final work to her.|Jacqui did not like the portrait and pasted newspaper over it, since partially removed.Portrait of a young girl with bow in her hair and the name "Jacky" on her jumper. Portrait on brown paper in plain varnished wooden frame. Partially covered by newspaper.M. Mueller 1946.tatura, camp 13, manfred mueller, german pow, seal

Vincenzo Galea was an Italian POW in Camp 13 Murchison. This portrait of Valma Paterson was painted from a photograph supplied by her father George Paterson, a Hygiene Officer with the Australian Army. Oil Portrait on canvas. Olive green background. A young lady with short dark brown hair. Gold highlights near centre part. Dark brown eyes and red lips. Wearing a light pink top with pleats on shoulders.V Galea 23/11/45camp 13, paterson, valma, george, murchison, vincenzo, galea, portrait

Painted by Dr Otto Rubitschung for Christmas 1942Kakadu - Tatura - Weihnnachten, 1942. Oil painting of a white cockatoo by Dr Otto Rubitschung, a German Templer from jaffa, Palestine, who was interned in Camp 3. The painting is mounted on plywood board.Painting of sulphur crested white cockatoo. Claws around a brown bough. Gold edge around painting. Unframed.Dr O.R. front bottom left hand corner. On the back "Schwefelgelb Schopfiger, Weisser Australischer "Kakadu" Tatura. Weihnachten 1942" painting, oil, hoefer, tatura, ww2 camps, illustrations, dr o rubitschung

Hubert Sturzenhofecker was a German Lutheran Missionary from New Guinea, interned in Camp 3. After the war he returned to Germany.Picture of a lake, trees in the background, 5 ducks swimming on the lake. Painted on 3 ply wood & mounted in a brown wooden frame. Painted by Hubert Sturzenhofecker.Meinem Freundeww2, camp 3, illustrations, oil, hubert sturzenhofecker

Oil portrait of Col. John Purdue O.B.E. in full army uniform with 5 campaign medals on left breast painted on canvas stretched over hardboard in ornate gilt wooden frame.Plaque affixed to bottom of frame reads: COL. JOHN PURDUE O.B.E. 24-5-1890/25-3-1980. / FIRED THE FIRST SHOT IN W.W. I FROM FORT NEPEAN ACROSS BOW OF / GERMAN STEAMER "PFALZ' MERCHANT RAIDER ON AUG 5 - 1914 AT 12.50 PM.purdue, j foley, ww1, "pfalz"

This is one of a set of 3 miniature oil paintings by the self-taught artist Alfred William Eustace (1820-1907). A.W. Eustace, an Australian artist, was born in Berkshire, England, where he was an assistant gamekeeper to the Earl of Craven at Ashdown Park. He migrated to Australia with his wife and children in 1851 and worked on the Ullina and Eldorado Runs on the Black Dog Creek at Chiltern, which was in excess of 50,000 acres of grazing land. A.W. Eustace was employed as a shepherd by Jason Withers and while tending his flocks in the solitude of the bush, Eustace turned his attention to painting and music to while away the long and weary hours. He endeavoured to capture the spirit of the bush and painted on board, canvas or tin plate, but as these materials were not always readily available he then started painting on large round eucalyptus leaves from the White and Red Box trees that grew around about him. He became known as the "Bush Artist." About 1856 he painted a small picture of the famous Woolshed goldrush and during the next few years became well known in North-East Victoria. John Sadlier, a police officer stationed at Beechworth said that Eustace painted 'some really exquisite scenes. He was of an easy-going dreamy temperament, a student of nature only, despising the works of men. Unfortunately his drawings were on eucalyptus leaves, the largest and roundest he could find and not on canvas, and no doubt have all perished long ago.' In 1876 the Melbourne Age newspaper reported, 'Eustace’s celebrated paintings on gum leaves are again attracting attention,…Mr Eustace is an elegant artist…he seems without effort to catch the colour and spirit of Australian scenery…' In 1864 A.W. Eustace held an Art Union in Albury, and again in 1884 in Ballarat. He exhibited at the Victorian Academy of Arts in 1877 and also held an exhibition of gum leaf paintings at Stevens Gallery, Melbourne in 1893. By 1896 he was receiving orders from heads of states in Europe, with his works acknowledged by Queen Victoria, Emperor Frederick of Germany and the Czar of Russia, as well as the Governors of New South Wales and Victoria. His paintings reflected his ability to paint the sky in his realistic style which is still noted by art critics of the day. A.W. Eustace was also a skilful taxidermist. The collection of birds and animals that can be seen at the Beechworth Museum are examples of his taxidermy skill. When not doing his work, painting or taxidermy, he regularly contributed letters and verse to the Chiltern newspaper, The Federal Standard. A book of verse in his hand writing was presented to The Athenaeum Trust by the Boadle family. In the 1870’s he became interested in spiritualism often being involved in lively debate at lectures and séances. Alfred William Eustace died in 1907 and is buried in the Chiltern New Cemetery with his wife Sarah and one of his daughters, Elizabeth. Miniature oil painting of a landscape, with creek in foreground and bush and hill behind, by A.W. Eustace, under glass, in original timber frame with beige matte and a twist wire stand. One of 3 miniatures. No signature visiblealfred eustace, chiltern, oil painting, landscape

This is one of a set of 3 miniature oil paintings by the self-taught artist Alfred William Eustace (1820-1907). A.W. Eustace, an Australian artist and taxidermist, was born in Berkshire, England, where he was an assistant gamekeeper to the Earl of Craven at Ashdown Park. He migrated to Australia with his wife and children in 1851 and worked on the Ullina and Eldorado Runs on the Black Dog Creek at Chiltern, which was in excess of 50,000 acres of grazing land. A.W. Eustace was employed as a shepherd by Jason Withers and while tending his flocks in the solitude of the bush, Eustace turned his attention to painting and music to while away the long and weary hours. He endeavoured to capture the spirit of the bush painting on board, canvas or tin plate, but as these materials were not always readily available he then started painting on large round eucalyptus leaves from the White and Red Box trees that grew around about him. About 1856 he painted a small picture of the famous Woolshed goldrush and during the next few years became well known in North-East Victoria. John Sadlier, a police officer stationed at Beechworth said that Eustace painted 'some really exquisite scenes. He was of an easy-going dreamy temperament, a student of nature only, despising the works of men. Unfortunately his drawings were on eucalyptus leaves, the largest and roundest he could find and not on canvas, and no doubt have all perished long ago.' In 1876 the Melbourne Age newspaper reported, 'Eustace’s celebrated paintings on gum leaves are again attracting attention,…Mr Eustace is an elegant artist…he seems without effort to catch the colour and spirit of Australian scenery…' In 1864 A.W. Eustace held an Art Union in Albury, and again in 1884 in Ballarat. He exhibited at the Victorian Academy of Arts in 1877 and also held an exhibition of gum leaf paintings at Stevens Gallery, Melbourne in 1893. By 1896 he was receiving orders from heads of states in Europe, with his works acknowledged by Queen Victoria, Emperor Frederick of Germany and the Czar of Russia, as well as the Governors of New South Wales and Victoria. His paintings reflected his ability to paint the sky in his realistic style which is still noted by art critics of the day. A.W. Eustace was also a skilful taxidermist. The collection of birds and animals that can be seen at the Beechworth Museum are examples of his taxidermy skill. When not doing his work, painting or taxidermy, he regularly contributed letters and verse to the Chiltern newspaper, The Federal Standard. A book of verse in his hand writing was presented to The Athenaeum Trust by the Boadle family. In the 1870’s he became interested in spiritualism often being involved in lively debate at lectures and séances. Alfred William Eustace died in 1907 and is buried in the Chiltern New Cemetery with his wife Sarah and one of his daughters, Elizabeth.Miniature oil painting of a landscape, with creek and grassland in foreground surrounded by bushland and hill in distance, by A.W. Eustace, under glass in original timber frame with beige matte and a twist wire stand. One of 3 miniatures. No signature visiblealfred eustace, oil painting, landscape, chiltern

This is one of a set of 3 miniature oil paintings by the self-taught artist Alfred William Eustace (1820-1907). A.W. Eustace, an Australian artist, was born in Berkshire, England, where he was an assistant gamekeeper to the Earl of Craven at Ashdown Park. He migrated to Australia with his wife and children in 1851 and worked on the Ullina and Eldorado Runs on the Black Dog Creek at Chiltern, which was in excess of 50,000 acres of grazing land. A.W. Eustace was employed as a shepherd by Jason Withers and while tending his flocks in the solitude of the bush, Eustace turned his attention to painting and music to while away the long and weary hours. He endeavoured to capture the spirit of the bush painting on board, canvas or tin plate, but as these materials were not always readily available he then started painting on large round eucalyptus leaves from the White and Red Box trees that grew around about him. About 1856 he painted a small picture of the famous Woolshed goldrush and during the next few years became well known in North-East Victoria. John Sadlier, a police officer stationed at Beechworth said that Eustace painted 'some really exquisite scenes. He was of an easy-going dreamy temperament, a student of nature only, despising the works of men. Unfortunately his drawings were on eucalyptus leaves, the largest and roundest he could find and not on canvas, and no doubt have all perished long ago.' In 1876 the Melbourne Age newspaper reported, 'Eustace’s celebrated paintings on gum leaves are again attracting attention,…Mr Eustace is an elegant artist…he seems without effort to catch the colour and spirit of Australian scenery…' In 1864 A.W. Eustace held an Art Union in Albury, and again in 1884 in Ballarat. He exhibited at the Victorian Academy of Arts in 1877 and also held an exhibition of gum leaf paintings at Stevens Gallery, Melbourne in 1893. By 1896 he was receiving orders from heads of states in Europe, with his works acknowledged by Queen Victoria, Emperor Frederick of Germany and the Czar of Russia, as well as the Governors of New South Wales and Victoria. His paintings reflected his ability to paint the sky in his realistic style which is still noted by art critics of the day. A.W. Eustace was also a skilful taxidermist. The collection of birds and animals that can be seen at the Beechworth Museum are examples of his taxidermy skill. When not doing his work, painting or taxidermy, he regularly contributed letters and verse to the Chiltern newspaper, The Federal Standard. A book of verse in his hand writing was presented to The Athenaeum Trust by the Boadle family. In the 1870’s he became interested in spiritualism often being involved in lively debate at lectures and séances. Alfred William Eustace died in 1907 and is buried in the Chiltern New Cemetery with his wife Sarah and one of his daughters, Elizabeth.Miniature oil painting of a landscape with creek and surrounding trees by A.W. Eustace, under glass, in original dark brown timber frame with beige matte and a twist wire stand. One of 3 miniatures. Sticker on back: 188 (original Registration number)alfred eustace, chiltern, oil, landscape