FOR PRESS: P. M. No. 21/ 1969
ACQUISITION OF WILLIAM WESTALL DRAWINGS
FOR NATIONAL LIBRARY
Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr. John Gorton
The Commonwealth Government has purchased from
the Royal Commonwealth Society in London an important collection
of 139 drawings and water colours by William Westall, the young
landscape artist who accompanied Matthew Flinders on his
circumnavigation of Australia in 1801-3. These pictures, depicting
parts of the Australian coastline as it appeared before European
settlement, will be housed in the National Library in Canberra.
The Westall drawings and water colours have long
been well and favourably known to scholars. They became even
more widely known as a result of their reproduction in a large
volume published by the Society in 1962.
As well as being on view in the National Library,
they may also be exhibited elsewhere in Australia during the
Captain Cook Bi-centenary Celebrations next year.
CANBERRA 21 February 1969
Gorton, John
Period of Service: 10/01/1968 - 10/03/1971
Find more information on Gorton, John on the:
Release Date:
21/02/1969
Release Type:
Media Release
Transcript ID:
2002
Document:
00002002.pdf
1 Page(s)
Released by:
- Gorton, John Grey
FOR PRESS: P.M. NO. 21/1969 - ACQUISITION OF WILLIAM WESTALL DRAWINGS FOR NATIONAL LIBRARY - STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR. JOHN GORTON
2002