Title: Mallee Scrub, River Murray
Artist: Nicholas Chevalier (1828-1902)
Engraver: William Forrest (1805-1889)
Date: [ca. 1873]
Notes: An engraving by William Forrest, from a drawing by Russian-born artist Nicholas Chevalier, of River Murray Mallee scrub and a group of Aborigines.
MALLEE SCRUB (Murray district.) This portion of the S.E. district of South Australia, about 9000 square miles in extent, is one uninterrupted waving prairie of Eucalyptus dumosa, (by the natives termed mallee) something like a bushy willow in appearance. It commences about 100 miles from the southern extremity of the coast, and goes on, as far as we know, without any interruption of a different description of country, right on to the N. and N.W. boundary formed by the River Murray to this district. One road passes across if for about 100 miles from the Tattiara country to Wellington ferry, or the crossing-place of the Murray. There is also a small patch of grassy country on some porphyry ranges, about 26 miles within its edge, but beyond this it is considered impenetrable. Occasionally, however, an adventurous settler has taken a few days' supply of water, and provisions and has gone 50 or 60 miles beyond the nearest settlement, but such journey have only confirmed the idea that the scrub is totally unfit for any purpose. There are only few places, however, where it can be even explored. The trees grow close together like reeds, and certainly not thicker, without a branch until about 14 feet from the ground, and so dense are they that 10 and 12 stems may be counted springing from 1 root, and occupy little more than a square foot of ground. Where a road has been cut through it, it appears as though there were high walls on each side; indeed, the effect is not unlike that produced by a road through a trench. - Excerpt from Bailliere's South Australian Gazetteer and Road Guide 1866, Mallee Scrub page 135, Publisher F. F. Bailliere
MALLEE SCRUB (Murray district.) This portion of the S.E. district of South Australia, about 9000 square miles in extent, is one uninterrupted waving prairie of Eucalyptus dumosa, (by the natives termed mallee) something like a bushy willow in appearance. It commences about 100 miles from the southern extremity of the coast, and goes on, as far as we know, without any interruption of a different description of country, right on to the N. and N.W. boundary formed by the River Murray to this district. One road passes across if for about 100 miles from the Tattiara country to Wellington ferry, or the crossing-place of the Murray. There is also a small patch of grassy country on some porphyry ranges, about 26 miles within its edge, but beyond this it is considered impenetrable. Occasionally, however, an adventurous settler has taken a few days' supply of water, and provisions and has gone 50 or 60 miles beyond the nearest settlement, but such journey have only confirmed the idea that the scrub is totally unfit for any purpose. There are only few places, however, where it can be even explored. The trees grow close together like reeds, and certainly not thicker, without a branch until about 14 feet from the ground, and so dense are they that 10 and 12 stems may be counted springing from 1 root, and occupy little more than a square foot of ground. Where a road has been cut through it, it appears as though there were high walls on each side; indeed, the effect is not unlike that produced by a road through a trench. - Excerpt from Bailliere's South Australian Gazetteer and Road Guide 1866, Mallee Scrub page 135, Publisher F. F. Bailliere
Nicholas Chevalier
Nicholas Chevalier was born on 9 May, 1828, in St Petersburg, Russia, the son of Swiss born Louis Chevealier, overseer to the estates of the Prince de Wittgenstein in Russia, and a Russian mother, Tatiana Onofriewna. Nicholas left Russia with his father in 1845, and studied painting and architecture in Lausanne, Switzerland and Munich, Germany. He became an illustrator in watercolours and lithography after moving to London in 1851. Two of his paintings were hung in the Royal Academy in 1852. He then studied painting in Rome before before returning to London.
In late 1854 Chevalier sailed from London to Australia on board the 'Swallow' to join his father and brother, who was manager of the vineyards at Bontharambo on the Ovens River in Victoria. He arrived in Melbourne on 25 December and in August 1855 he obtained work as a cartoonist on the newly established Melbourne Punch. Later he did illustrative work for the Illustrated Australian News and also worked in chromo-lithography.
On 5 March 1857 Nicholas Chevalier married Caroline Wilkie, at the Congregational Church, Brunswick Street, Melbourne. Caroline was also an artist, the daughter of Frederick Wilkie (artist) and Sarah Drew. She was also related to the Scottish artist, David Wilkie.
In 1864, when the National Gallery of Victoria was founded, an exhibition of works by Victorian artists was held. Considered to be the best picture exhibited, Nicholas Chevalier's painting The Buffalo Ranges was purchased for £200. by the government for the National Gallery of Victoria. It was the first picture painted in Australia to be included in the Melbourne collection.
In 1865 Chevalier visited New Zealand, travelling widely and doing much work there which was exhibited at Melbourne on his return. In 1869 he joined HMS Galatea as an artist with the Duke of Edinburgh, on the voyage to the East and back to London with stops in Tahiti, Hawaii, Japan, China, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and India. The pictures painted during the voyage were exhibited at South Kensington.
In January 1874 Chevalier was commissioned by Queen Victoria to travel to St Petersburg and paint a picture of the marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh. Chevalier made London his headquarters and was a constant exhibitor at the Academy from 1871 to 1887. He had one picture in the 1895 Academy but had practically given up painting by then.
Nicholas Chevalier died in London on 15 March 1902.
Provenance: "Australia" vol. I, 1873; Edwin Carton Booth F.R.C.I. with drawings by (John) Skinner Prout, N. (Nicholas) Chevalier, &c. &c.
Author: Edwin Carton Booth
Contributor: John Skinner Prout (1805-1876)
Contributor: Nicholas Chevalier (1828-1902)
Date of Publication: 1873
Volume: I
Publisher: Virtue & Co
Place of Publishing: London
Copyright status: This work is out of copyright
Courtesy: The British Library
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