Historical information

These volumes reproduce the diary material and the landscapes and sketches of Charles La Trobe, the Superintendent of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales ( 1839- 1851) and Lieutenant Governor of the colony of Victoria ( 1851-54 ). La Trobe is regarded as the man most responsible for the establishment of Warrnambool in 1847. His diaries document his trips to the Warrnambool region in 1845, 1846, 1848 and 1849 before and after the town site was settled.

Significance

These volumes are of artistic significance being beautifully and expensively produced. The volumes contain information of vital importance to our knowledge of our early Warrnambool history. Other important details in the diary include information on early shipwrecks and the first settlers in our district in our district, especially the Allan brothers.

Physical description

.1 This is a burgundy leather bound book of 380 pages. It has gold lettering on the cover and the spine and an oval inset in the centre of the front cover containing a coloured portrait of Charles La Trobe. The pages contain black and white and coloured art works and sketches and printed material. There is a burgundy coloured ribbon for marking pages The book is encased in a hard leather cover with a cut out window with gold edging.
.2 This is a burgundy leather bound book of 343 pages. It has gold lettering on the cover and the spine and a rectangular inset in the centre of the front cover containing a coloured sketch of a rock, sea and cliffs drawn by Charles La Trobe. The pages contain sepia and black and white drawings and printed material. There is a burgundy coloured ribbon for marking pages. The book is encased in a hard leather cover with a cut out window with gold edging .

Inscriptions & markings

.1 Charles Joseph La Trobe AUSTRALIAN NOTES 1839-1854

.2 Charles Joseph La Trobe LANDSCAPES AND SKETCHES