Artworks – Moreton Bay and More

Mr Diggles and the Choral Society.

The Fine Arts. Mr Silvester Diggles, piano tuner, music teacher and artist, first came to Brisbane via the steamer Boomerang in November 1854. On board, Silvester was in interesting and distinguished company. The legal profession was represented by Mr Justice Therry, Mr Perry, Mr Purefoy and Mr Pring – all on their way to holdContinue reading “Mr Diggles and the Choral Society.”

“Sketching Brisbane Town.”

Silvester Diggles (1817-1880) was sent north to Moreton Bay on the Boomerang steamer in November 1854 to repair and tune the pianofortes of the district. He found a town crying out for musical instruction, art and entertainment, and decided to bring his family north to Brisbane Town early in 1855. He advertised his services inContinue reading ““Sketching Brisbane Town.””

“We are here in a universe of wonders.”

The art of Silvester Diggles. Silvester Diggles (1817-1880) settled in Brisbane with his family in early 1855, after a brief but much-appreciated visit to the area as a musician and piano-tuner the previous year. The townspeople of Brisbane read his advertisements for his musical instrument repair business, and noted that he also instructed in musicContinue reading ““We are here in a universe of wonders.””

Through the Artist’s Eyes.

Art in Queensland before Separation. How does an artist render a completely unfamiliar world – landscapes, animals and people unlike anything the artist has seen before? A European individual, trained in the various schools and traditions of recording the world around them, would interpret northern Australia with a somewhat Euro-centric lens. An artist accompanying aContinue reading “Through the Artist’s Eyes.”

The Man Behind the Watercolour.

The Painting. It is the earliest image of Brisbane that isn’t an architectural drawing. I’ve used it extensively, and it’s beloved by local historians. It’s May 1835, the 3rd to be precise, and a civil servant named Henry Bowerman is standing on the south bank of the Brisbane River, sketching the convict settlement on theContinue reading “The Man Behind the Watercolour.”