Taxidermy Birds Of The Illawarra

DESCRIPTION

TitleTaxidermy Birds Of The Illawarra Object TypeObjectDatec.1850DescriptionTaxidermy Birds Of The Illawarra.

Glass fronted Victorian timber cabinet housing a collection of 23 birds of the Illawarra.

The taxidermy display is decorated with lichen and paper daisies.
Provenance and SignifcanceJohn Brown of Brownsville, Dapto, owned this collection of beautiful taxidermy birds from the Illawarra. The collection, dating from the mid-19th century, may have originally belonged to John’s father, George Brown. It is not known if members of the Brown family collected the birds themselves, or commissioned the work, that was displayed in their family home for many years.

John Brown was the son of George and Mary Ann Brown, for whom the suburb of Brownsville is named. He was born in Liverpool in 1827, and two years later, the family moved to the Illawarra. When his father died in 1850, John inherited the family’s steam flourmill. John served as Alderman with the Central Illawarra Municipal Council for 50 years. He was a founding member of the Dapto Agricultural Show, and donated land for a Methodist Church. He was also a Trustee of Hooka and Gooseberry Islands at Lake Illawarra.

Taxidermy was a very popular past time in Australia in the early 1800’s. This was an era when European settlers were still discovering new and interesting species in Australian. There are many accounts of taxidermy collections displayed at agricultural shows, from their earliest beginnings. Local collectors donated hundreds of specimens to the country’s oldest museum, the Australian Museum, founded in 1827.

Alfred Swan of Dapto acquired this rare collection, which was passed down through generations of the Swan family; first to his son Bruce, and then to his grandson William (Bill) Swan. Bill owned the birds for about 45 years until his death in 2016. According to Bill’s family, he loved the birds, and would be very happy to see them on exhibition.

The collection includes 23 birds that were common in the Illawarra in the 1850s, and is a great snapshot of the wildlife at that time. Amongst the collection, is a Regent Honeyeater, which is now on the critically endangered species list. The collection is housed in a specially and skilfully built, walnut veneer cabinet, and includes its original imperfect glass front.
DonorCampton, Tracey

CHARACTERISTICS

MaterialCase Walnut veneer Moulded frame around glass back and sides lined with wallpaper or possibly a type of brown paper. Back of case of pine.

Four turned mahogany legs added in 2017 for Museum exhibition.DimensionsCabinet - 137cm x 104cm x 47cm including legs. Birds range in size from 10cm to 86cm.

CLASSIFICATION

PrimaryTRADESSecondaryTaxidermy

CONNECTIONS

CollectionObjectsLocalityIllawarraDapto

LOCATION

Item LocationOn Exhibition

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Taxidermy Birds Of The Illawarra