david coombe history
SUMMARY: S.T. Gill pictured Victoria's gold diggings and diggers in June and July 1852. He then lithographed two series each of 24 sketches: Victoria Gold Diggings and Diggers as they are (1852). Gill was visited by George French Angas who took away a few images for his own lithography. Gill shows two watercolours: Forest Creek, Mount Alexander, 1852 and Eagle Hawk, Bendigo, 1852 and publishes a large colour lithograph of the former in March 1853.
Article type: NARRATIVE & CATALOGUE
In this article ...
NOTE: Emphases (bold) in newspaper quotations are mine. Links in the body of the article open in a new browser tab.
Returning to Melbourne from the diggings in July 1852, Gill arranged to publish his voluminous material. The lithography would be on a much larger scale than he had ever done in South Australia and would culminate in two series each of 24 prints (plus a cover).
Who had the capacity for such a project?
Melbourne wasn't ready to undertake a twelve stone series.
Thomas Ham had been announcing a series of lithographed sketches by David Tulloch since January 1852, but nothing had yet come of it.
On 21 February, Campbell and Macartney had announced a single tinted lithograph by William Strutt ... and then silence.
Gill's Adelaide lithographers had been Penman & Co. One of the three original members had been James Stirling Campbell. Campbell hadn't lasted a year with his partners Penman and Galbraith. Campbell then moved to Melbourne and in June 1850 with William Macartney he established Campbell and Macartney.1 (Little is known about William Macartney.)
In January 1852, with the gold rush affecting the workforce in Melbourne, Campbell and Macartney advertised for lithographic printers.2 Then a month later, on 21 February, they announced a single tinted lithograph by William Strutt: "View of the Golden Point, Ballarat". They advertised it for a week and a half and then ... silence.3
Campbell and Macartney themselves may have left Melbourne, taking advantage of better weather to head to the diggings.
In July, in one of his Mems from the Mount, Bryce Ross reported on Gill at the diggings saying the artist was still looking for lithographic facilities "in Melbourne or elsewhere" to execute his project. Gill would want access to a decent number of lithograph stones.
Twelve stones – with two images to a stone – would allow Gill the luxury of completing a series without having to reuse stone during printing. But Melbourne lithographers seemed to lack that number.
Gill's need for stones may have been met by Reuben Quarrill. Quarrill had a stationery, printing and artistic business in Sydney. He'd apparently tried for gold at the Victorian diggings,4 and then sold his Sydney business.5 Twelve lithographic stones for sale in April6 and thirty in May7 were possibly also from his business. Twelve would be just the right addition for Gill's project; 30 or 42 were a luxury! Quarrill sailed from Sydney on 19 June and arrived in Melbourne on 14 July with a case of lithographic stones!8
This was perfect timing for Gill, and Quarrill's import may have been what made it logistically feasible. (Consider the timing with Gill's last dated scene being 1 July – "Zealous Gold diggers, Bendigo".)
Gill moved quickly to line up a printer – there would be a fresh publishing partnership – and to sketch the final scenes for publication.
Gill made preparatory sketches in a small sketch book. Most but not all made it into lithographs.
S.T. Gill - Diggings and Diggers 1852 - Preparatory Sketches
Gill made preparatory sketches prior to lithographing his two-part 'Sketches of the Victoria Diggings and Diggers as they are'.
State Library of NSW (SLNSW) has a collection of 14 of these. The sketches span what would become Parts 1 and 2, suggesting Gill may have scoped the entire 48 before commencing publication of Part 1.
The silence that had been Melbourne lithographers was broken on 17 August.
Campbell and Macartney were no longer. But Macartney had partnered with Campbell's one time South Australian partner, William Galbraith of Adelaide's Penman & Galbraith. The new partnership of Macartney and Galbraith were to launch by publishing Gill's first Victorian lithographs.9
Gill's Sketches of the Victoria Diggings and Diggers as they are were published in two series each of 24 lithographs – 48 in total. (The covers for each series are rough and seem to have been something of an afterthought.)
Gill himself transferred his preparatory sketches to stone.
The first newspaper advertisement appeared on 17 August in The Argus – just six weeks from Gill's last dated scene at the diggings.
PUBLISHED This Day–Part the First, containing 24 of a series of Sketches of the Victoria Diggings and Diggers as they are – By S.T.G.
Lithographed and published by Macartney and Galbraith (late Campbell and Macartney), 30, Collins-street, Melbourne.9
Interestingly Gill is promoted not by name, but by his initials – S.T.G. – just as he had been when he began lithographing his Heads of the People with Penman & Co. in Adelaide in 1849.
Sketches of the Victoria Gold Diggings and Diggers as they are (1852) – Part 1
Gill's "Sketches of the Victoria Diggings and Diggers as they are" were published as lithographs by Macartney and Galbraith in 1852 in two parts. Part 1 was published in August 1852.
The works were admired in Geelong a few days later.
ARTISTIC.–We have seen a series of twenty-four sketches of life at the diggings drawn by Mr. Gill (S.T.G.), from Adelaide, which deserves notice, as the best sketches of the kind which have yet appeared. The artist evidently possess[es] a fund of humour and graphic power, scarcely inferior to Gavarni himself. The landscape delineations, are also very happy, the characteristics of the trees and vegetation being well marked. They have been lithographed by Macartney & Galbraith; but we are not aware if any are yet on sale in Geelong.10
This lithographic competition seems to have caught established Melbourne publisher Thomas Ham by surprise. The secret kept by Bryce Ross had allowed Gill a market advantage. The day immedaitely after the Gill announcement saw Ham finally announced his own publication. "Five Views of the Gold Fields of Mount Alexander and Ballarat", sketched by David Tulloch, was engraved by Ham and bound with a title page.11 Ham's more expensive engraving likely struggled in the market against Gill's economical lithography. Gill's scenes also captured popular appeal.
The Argus also admired Gill's production.
FINE ARTS.–We have received from some mysterious quarter a series of twenty-four very spirited and well executed sketches of the Gold Diggers and Diggings of Victoria. They are apparently drawn by some gentleman signing himself S.T.G., and are most admirably lithographed by Messrs Macartney and Galbraith, of Collins-street. Some of the sketches of Diggers, evidently from life, are not the most pleasing in the world, but there is an air of evident truthfulness about them, combined with a vigour and a dash of humour which should lead to a very extensive sale. We have no clue to their price, but the very cover in which they are enclosed is quite a gem in its way.12
In August 1852 there was a flurry of artistic business in Melbourne, with publication of:
This activity would have caught the attention of George French Angas in Sydney. (A year earlier Angas himself had illustrated the gold diggings in New South Wales with six lithographs.)
Shipping records suggest Angas sailed from Sydney on 11 August and arrived in Melbourne within days on 24 August. Did these new artistic publications surprise him on arrival? Or had he advance warning – perhaps alerted by Bryce Ross's report?
Angas' visit might have been considered insignificant were it not for what followed. The next month, in Sydney, Angas lithographed two views of the Victorian diggings: Forest Creek, Mount Alexander, from Adelaide Hill and Eagle-Hawk Gully, Bendigo. He then sent copies of these, together with a third – a pencil sketch of the Commissioners Camp, Forest Creek – to his London publisher, Hogarth. Angas promoted them as having been sketched on the spot by himself.
George French Angas - Victorian Diggings, 1852
This article reveals the weight of evidence is against Angas' attendance at the Victorian diggings and that, instead, he again used Gill's pictures for a publication. This further cements the role of Gill as a ghost artist for Angas. Perhaps there was an agreement to allow Angas to publish in Sydney, while Gill retained rights to the Melbourne market?
Eight weeks after the first Diggings and Diggers As They Are, the second series was published on 11 October.
NOW PUBLISHED. Part the Second. CONTAINING 24, and completing a series of 48 sketches of the Victoria Gold Diggings, and Diggers as they are, by S.T G.
Lithographed and published by Macartney and Galbraith, (late Campbell and Macartney), 30 Collins-street, Melbourne.13
The advertisement was accompanied by editorial on the same page.
SKETCHES OF THE DIGGERS AND DIGGINGS.–We beg to acknowledge, receipt of a second series of these most life-like and admirably excuted lithographs. The gentleman who produces them is an artist and a genius; his touches are strikingly characteristic and humorous, and although a strain of coarseness creeps in here and there we fear that it is more a fault of the people drawn than of the drawer himself. To any one anxious to give distant friends a most faithful and amusing idea of digging life, we recommend a visit to the shop of Messrs McCartney, in Collins-street.14
Sketches of the Victoria Gold Diggings and Diggers as they are (1852) – Part 2
Gill's "Sketches of the Victoria Diggings and Diggers as they are" were published as lithographs by Macartney and Galbraith in 1852 in two parts. Part 2 was published in October 1852.
Part 2 was now on the streets of Melbourne, but in the meantime Part 1 had arrived in London and was quickly relithographed there, but this time in colour.
AUSTRALIAN SKETCHES. – Just published, in Tint Lithography, 24 SKETCHES of the VICTORIA GOLD DIGGINGS and DIGGERS. Drawn on the Spot by an Eye Witness. Price, with tint, stitched in Illustrated Cover, 10s. 6d.; not tinted, 7s. 6d. Collins and Co., 11, Great Winchester-street, City; and Piper Brothers and Co., 23 Paternoster-row; and all booksellers.15
The Collins and Piper lithographs attribute "S.T.G." on the cover but have their own letterpress instead of Gill's hand drawn titles, omit Gill's signatures but add "Sketched on the spot".
Note: Collins and Piper didn't, however, go on to reproduce Part 2.
Sketches of the Victoria Gold Diggings and Diggers as they are (Part 1, London, 1853)
Note: SLNSW has three copies of this book with call numbers Q85/57, Q85/58 and Q85/59. It's uncertain which copy was digitised; however the digitised version only has 22 of the 24 plates. It is missing "Diggers on way to Bendigo" and "Iron Bark Gully from road to Bendigo".
A month after George French Angas published his Victorian diggings lithographs in Sydney, they were advertised for a few days in Melbourne's Argus from 10 November:
TO SUCCESSFUL DIGGERS. Now Published, TWO Splendid Colored Lithographic Views of Mount Alexander, and the Eagle Hawk Gully, Bendigo, Taken on the spot, and lithographed by Mr George French Angas. Price 21s the pair.
To be had of P Just and Co, Flinders-street near the Custom House; Messrs Huxtable and Co, Collins-street; and D. Urquhart, Collins-street.
An early application is requisite, only a limited number of these faithful views will be issued.16
If there had been a territorial agreement between Gill and Angas, this seems to have broken it.
The Argus advertisement was accompanied by a complimentary review:
FINE ARTS.–We beg to acknowledge receipt of a pair of well executed colored lithographs of interesting digging scenes at Forest Creek and Eagle Hawk Gully, Bendigo. They are the production of Mr G. F. Angas, favorably known throughout these Colonies as a vigorous and faithful artist, and they will add greatly to his reputation. The coloring imparts a dash of life and truthfulness to the sketches, of which pure black and white is not capable ...17
Adding to the pain was the review's implied criticism of Gill's black ink.
All this likely spurred Gill and his publishers to bring out their own coloured lithographs.
Gill, Macartney and Galbraith were already meeting the volume market with the two series of humble black on white lithographs. They had fresh ambition for larger, coloured imagery.
At the end of 1852, the Melbourne publishers announced subscriptions would be received for a picture grander, in both size and colour, than those by Angas:
TO THE PATRONS OF ART.
MESSRS MACARTNEY AND GALBRAITH beg to announce that they have arranged with Mr S. T. Gill, for the publication, in tinted Lithography, of an elaborate
water color drawing, executed from a sketch taken on the spot, of Forest Creek, the most important sight on the Mount Alexander Gold Fields.
The artist, Mr S. T. G. being engaged to draw on the stones, the publishers are confident of producing a print of such merit as shall meet with popular approval. The painting is now on view at their office, 30, Collins-street, where parties disposed to subscribe, are respectfully solicited to leave their names.
Prepaid Subscribers 21s per copy, choice
Listed Subscribers 25s ...... do. ...... do.
Non-Subscribers 30s ........ do. ...... do.18
However the colour Forest Creek, Mount Alexander may have been delayed, not by lack of subscriptions, but by Gill's personal circumstances.
Gill's father, Samuel senior, died on 16 December19 reportedly "after a brief but painful illness".20
It may be around this time that Gill made a brief return visit to South Australia on 9 December. Two Gills arrived together in Adelaide from Melbourne21 a week before Gill's father died. But this evidence is thin. Had Sam Gill and brother John returned then to see their father? One can't be sure without further details.
Elizabeth Gill's 3 January probate application for her late husband locates the Gill brothers in Victoria.22 So there's another possibility Gill made a return visit soon after the death of his father.
A Gill arrived at Adelaide from Melbourne on 24 January.23 Perhaps this was Sam Gill. If so he may have taken with him a few of his two-part series for Robert Hall to sell. Hall, who was well-known to Gill and perhaps a friend, was the first advertiser of the series there on 28 January.
GOLD DIGGINGS.
JUST recieved, for Sale a few copies of the SKETCHES OF THE VICTORIA GOLD DIGGINGS, AND DIGGERS AS THEY ARE, By S. T. G. in two parts of 24 each, completing the series of 48 sketches.
To be obtained at Hall's Daguerreotype Establishment, Hindley-street, West; or to
T. Powell, Bullion office, No. 1, Exchange Colonnade.24
By February, the first and now a second large watercolour were being exhibited, with both slated for colour lithography:
WATER COLOR DRAWINGS BY S. T. GILL.–We have been much pleased by a sight of some very well executed drawings by Mr Gill ... Two of the pictures exhibited are highly finished water color drawings, the one representing Forest Creek, Mount Alexander, taken from the Argus office, and the other a view of Eagle Hawk Gully, Bendigo. These two are in course of publication by Messrs. Macartney and Galbraith, and the view of Mount Alexander will appear at the latter end of the present month.25
(These sighted watercolours correspond with ones owned by Gill's later publisher, J.J. Blundell, and appear in the List of Works below.)
It's interesting that Gill's "elaborate" coloured works carry the same titles as Angas's Sydney ones. Had there indeed been a territorial agreement that Angas broke? A claim disputed? Gill restaking his claim?
Forest Creek, Mount Alexander was finally published on 28 March 1853 by Macartney and Galbraith.
PUBLISHED THIS DAY, By Macartney and Galbraith,
A FIRST CLASS and important Print of Forest Creek Diggings, Mount Alexander, executed in Tinted Lithography, from an original Painting by Gill. Size of Print,
24½ inches x 14½ inches. Choice impressions on plate paper, adapted for either framing or transit, to be had at the office of the publishers, 30, Collins-street. March 28th, 1853.26
See also List of Works below.
Gill's other large colour – Eagle Hawk Gully, Bendigo – was never published. And it wasn't until October 1853 that Gill's lithographs were advertised in Sydney – Forest Creek Diggings, Mount Alexander and Collins Street (Melbourne).27
This is the end of the narrative and catalogue scope for this project. However there will be further articles on Gill outside this scope.
Narrative →| (Narrative Ends)
To see the works, with accompanying notes, just scroll down or jump to the List of Works.
Collins 1853. Gill, Samuel Thomas, and H. H. Collins & Co. and Piper Brothers & Co.Sketches of the Victoria Gold Diggings and Diggers as They Are. Part I [Picture] / by S.T.G., 1853. SLNSW Q85/57 , Q85/59 , Q85/58
Scroll down to see the pictures along with detailed notes or click a link to jump to a specific work from the list.
Forest Creek, Mount Alexander, 1852 | State Library Victoria H955
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1852-10~/1852-12~ | Appleyard cat. n/a | 37.6(H) x 63.6(W) cm
Catalogue: S.T. Gill - Victoria Gold Diggings and Diggers 1852
Forest Creek, Mount Alexander. Signed 1852, this is likely the original watercolour for the Gill's well known lithograph. Gill dates the scene in the lithograph as July 1852.The lithograph reveals more of the street signs - see it's detailed description.
On 4 January 1853 Macartney & Galbraith advertised Gill's engagement to lithograph his original Forest Creek watercolour which could be viewed at their office 30 Collins Street where subscriptions would be received.
The Argus reported (4,5 February 1853) seeing on display at the Exchange Rooms, Royal Hotel: "Forest Creek, Mount Alexander, taken from the Argus office" and "a view of Eagle Hawk Gully, Bendigo". "These two are in course of publication by Messrs. Macartney and Galbraith." The "Forest Creek, Mount Alexander" lithograph was published on 28 March 1853; "Eagle Hawk Gully" is not known to have been published at that time.
Provenance: J. J. Blundell.
799
Eagle Hawk, Bendigo, 1852 | State Library Victoria H954
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1852-12~/1853-01~ | Appleyard cat. n/a | 37.5(H) x 63.7(W) cm
Catalogue: S.T. Gill - Victoria Gold Diggings and Diggers 1852
This watercolour is captioned "Eagle Hawk / Bendigo, 1852" (probably not by Gill). It likely is one of two paintings by Gill in early 1853.
The Argus reported (4,5 February 1853) seeing on display at the Exchange Rooms, Royal Hotel: "Forest Creek, Mount Alexander, taken from the Argus office" and "a view of Eagle Hawk Gully, Bendigo". "These two are in course of publication by Messrs. Macartney and Galbraith." The "Forest Creek, Mount Alexander" lithograph was published on 28 March 1853; "Eagle Hawk Gully" is not known to have been published at that time.
A road cuts across this scene on the diggings. In the foreground is a ringbarked tree, diggers are busy and there's a mother with baby. At left is a butcher. On the other side of the road are the tents and flag of what appears to be the Commissioner's Camp. In the middle ground is a creek flat from which trees have been removed. Beyond the flat are many diggers' tents and further still are hills.
The location seems likely to be Bendigo Flat, with the Commissioner's Camp, some way distant from Eagle Hawk Gully.
The scene is somewhat similar to Angas' lithograph "Eagle-Hawk Gully, Bendigo".
Provenance: J. J. Blundell.
Map | S. T. Gill - Victorian Diggings
800
Forest Creek, Mount Alexander Diggings from Base of Red Hill near Argus Office looking towards Castlemaine, July 1852 | Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales V*/Sp Coll/Gill/13
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1853-03-28 | Appleyard cat. n/a | 36.8(H) x 62.2(W) cm
Catalogue: S.T. Gill - Victoria Gold Diggings and Diggers 1852
Here Gill made minor changes when lithographing his earlier watercolour (SLV H955).
See also a richly coloured example of the lithograph: NLA PIC Solander Box C19 #S84 <https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135629862/view>.
For historical detail of the content of this picture, I recommend the NLA blog post: "Life on the goldfields: Bryce Ross and S.T. Gill" by Marion Amies. 12 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20171208171605/http://www.nla.gov.au/blogs/exhibitions/2016/10/12/life-on-the-goldfields.
A solitary mounted policeman rides down the street. ... On the left side of the street there are signs to the Argus (newspaper) office (left), a notice for Tolmer's South Australian gold escort, There's a prominent sign for "Bryce Ross's Newspaper and General Agency Office" with "Gold Bought Here £3-3-6" and other notices. Further down is a blacksmith works in the open and then "M and S Marks Adelaide Store". On the right side is an eating house advertising lemonade and ginger wine. Men read the newspapers. An unusual looking man wrapped in a blanket, with hat and stick. In the background the road leads to Castlemaine. Miners work the ground and the creek on the right and huts, tents and more workings occupy the ground to the left.
Based on a contemporary map showing Marks' Store, the view appears to be from the Main Road, Chewton, looking to the west with Adelaide Hill in the middle ground and around which the road branches right to Castlemaine and left to Fryers Creek. The Red Hill is shown on an 1861 map about where Chewton State School now stands on Hunter Street.
The lithograph was published on 28 March 1853 - size 24½ inches x 14½ inches.
Although the lithograph was published in March 1853, Gill has signed the stone "STG/52" (noting a mirrored "S"), with "52" perhaps reflecting the date he executed his watercolour or the date of the scene in June / July 1852.
Map | S. T. Gill - Victorian Diggings
379
Forest Creek, Mount Alexander, from Adelaide Hill | National Library of Australia NK6288/B
Artist: Angas, G.F. | Date: 1852-10 | 26(H) x 35.5(W) cm
Main listing: George French Angas - Victorian Diggings, 1852
One of two Angas lithographs of the Victorian diggings. J. Allan, Lith., Sydney. Published by Woolcott & Clarke, 2 October 1852. The two were also advertised for sale in Melbourne for a few days from 10 November.
For more detail see the catalogue / main entry.
798
Narrative →| (Narrative Ends)
David Coombe. Original 4 January 2026. Updated 7 January 20026. | text copyright (except where indicated)
CITE THIS: David Coombe, 2026, S.T. Gill - Victoria Gold Diggings and Diggers 1852, accessed dd mmm yyyy, <https://coombe.id.au/S_T_Gill/S_T_Gill_1852_Diggings_and_Diggers.htm>