The burial of Burke

In August 1860, Robert O’Hara Burke and William John Wills and their team set off from Melbourne’s Royal Park on one of the most ambitious expeditions in Australian history – a crossing of the continent from south to north. Farewelled by 15,000 well-wishers, they were destined for the Gulf of Carpentaria, over 3000 km away.

After reaching within a few kilometres of the Gulf, mangrove swamps and rapidly dwindling supplies forced them to turn back. Weakened by fatigue and lack of food and water, Burke and Wills died within days of each other towards the end of June 1861. Burke was buried under what became known as The Dig tree, which you can see in the painting to the left.  

William Strutt wrote detailed notes on their expedition and attended the farewell of the explorers. The National Gallery of Victoria funded a memorial painting for the Burke and Wills legacy. William was saddened he did not receive this commission but went through creating his own version anyway. William spent years completing this artwork using previous sketches, paintings and interviews of witnesses at the scene. He finished it in 1911, when he was an elderly man living in England.

William Strutt (1911), oil on canvas, 122 x 204cm, State Library of Victoria

Gold diggings of Victoria, preparing to start

Many people were attracted to Victoria after the discovery of gold in 1851. Victoria’s population would triple within roughly three years, and some lucky folk would walk away veritable millionaires. In this watercolour Strutt illustrates the atmosphere of excitement of people trying their luck in the mines. 

William Strutt, (c.1851), hand coloured engraving, 132 x 208.5mm, Pictures Collection, National Library of Australia

Self-portrait at Atelier Drolling, Paris

This self-portrait of William Strutt was created when he was 15 years old, while studying at the Paris atelier of Michel-Martin Drolling. His ability to document Australian colonial history could have been influenced by the style of painting encouraged at the French academy; there historical painting was seen as the highest form of art.

William Strutt (c. 1840), pencil and wash, 12.1 x 14cm, Rex Nan Kivell, National Library of Australia

Black Thursday, February 6^th 1851

William Strutt documented the ‘Black Thursday’ fire that occurred on 6 February 1851 in Victoria, only 6 months after he arrived in Australia. The bushfire killed 12 people, more than one million sheep and thousands of cattle. It burnt the largest area in European recorded history, 50,000 sq.km (ABS 2004), more than 1/5 of the state. In the painting he illustrates people and animals running from the fires in a terrified panic.

William Strutt (1864), oil on canvas; 106.5 x 343cm, State Library of Victoria. 

Bush fires in the Moorabbin district

William Strutt’s watercolour based on a bushfire in Cheltenham, Moorabbin district on 17 March 1854. William illustrates the harsh Australian landscape with the striking colour of the flames and kangaroos fleeing in the background. He wrote on the border “sketched by the glare of the lightning and fires in my garden”.

William Strutt (1854), watercolour, 290 x 393mm, Rex Nan Kivell Collection, National Library of Australia

Corunguiam and Munight

William Strutt’s drawings of the ‘Native Police Corps’ of Port Phillip. Strutt’s illustration is one of the few records of the ‘Native Police Corps’, which was formed in 1827 and operated until 1853. Its role included patrolling the goldfields, checking licences and transporting the gold.

William Strutt (1851), hand coloured lithograph, 133.5 x 209mm, Rex Nan Kivell Collection, National Library of Australia

Study for woman wearing a bonnet in Black Thursday

William Strutt documented events in colonial Victorian history in detail through his paintings, however this was often aided by his own detailed written descriptions, reading newspaper articles and conducting interviews. 

William Strutt (c. 1851), pencil and wash, 135 x 120 mm, Rex Nan Kivell Collection, National Library of Australia

Portrait of John Pascoe Fawkner, founding Melbourne personality 

John Pascoe Fawkner arrived in Australia on a convict ship in 1803 accompanying his father being sentenced for receiving stolen goods. As one of the first members of Victoria’s Parliament he stood for the disadvantaged people as well as reviewing gold-mining problems in Victoria. He also worked as a journalist and produced the first Melbourne newspaper. He hand-wrote the first nine weekly editions while he was awaiting the delivery of a printing press from Tasmania.

William Strutt (1856), oil on canvas, 61.3 x 51.2cm, National Library of NSW

Study for Bushrangers, Victoria, Australia, 1852

William Strutt sketched and painted many bushrangers, often doing preparatory sketches for bigger paintings. He spent great time sketching bushrangers before completing his well-known painting ‘Bushrangers’ (1887). Many of these illustrate the characters, some with faces of despair and others with a look of definance.

William Strutt (1886), pencil and wash, 52.7 x 36.3cm, Rex Nan Kivell Collection, National Library of Australia.

Un berger

William Strutt did this watercolour of a French shepherd at the age of 13. The English-born artist was surrounded by art, both his father and grandfather were artists.

William Strutt (c. 1837), watercolour, 48 x 56mm, Rex Nan Kivell Collection, National Library of Australia

Portrait of Lady Macarthur

William Strutt spent his early years in Victoria painting portraits of well-known individuals such as John Pascoe Fawkner, Sir John O’Shanassy, Robert O’Hara Burke, Governor Sir Edward Macarthur and his wife Lady Macarthur. Governor Macarthur married Lady Macarthur (Sarah) in 1862.

William Strutt (c. 1862), pencil, crayon and wash, 531 x 371mm, Rex Nan Kivell Collection, National Library of Australia

Portrait of Major General Sir E. Macarthur, K.C.B

Sir Edmond Macarthur (1789-1872) was the son of Captain John Macarthur, a wool baron and pioneer settler. Captain Macarthur acted as administrator of Victoria in 1856. William Strutt received many commissions for his portrait work, which became a major source of income for him.

William Strutt (c.1858), pencil and crayon, 418 x 385mm, Rex Nan Kivell Collection, National Library of Australia

Figure study for Bushrangers, Victoria, Australia, 1852

This artwork was immediately sold after an exhibition in 1887 at the Royal Academy. It stayed within the family of buyer Charles Charsaw for 68 years until it was sold to a Melbourne resident in 1955, and then later bequeathed to the University of Melbourne in 1973.

William Strutt (1886), pencil, 274 x 315 mm, Rex Nan Kivell Collection, National Library of Australia

Christ preaching 

William Strutt began studying art in Paris when he was just 13 years old. He spent a great amount of time at the Louvre while studying at the atelier of Michel-Martin Drölling and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Biblical settings were encouraged as good practice for young artists. 

William Strutt (1840), pencil and wash, 398 x 272mm, Pictures Collection, National Library of Australia

Self portrait as a New Zealand bushman, Mangorei, Taranaki, New Zealand, 1856

William Strutt spent 1855-56 in New Zealand with his wife Sarah Agnes Hague, three daughters and son (who was born in New Zealand). He purchased 42ha of land and built a house in Mangorei. In New Zealand he painted landscapes and Maori groups until he left for Sydney in July 1856.

William Strutt (1856), pencil and wash, 124 x 142.5mm, Rex Nan Kivell Collection, National Library of Australia

Separation 1850

William Strutt did this work for a flyer that would be given to celebratory crowds marking the separation of Victoria from NSW. Port Phillip separated NSW on 11 November 1850, a three-day celebration was held.

William Strutt (1850), pen lithograph, 363 x 315mm, Pictures collection, National Library of Australia

Group studies for Bushrangers, Victoria, Australia, 1852

This pencil drawing shows bushrangers who stole from more than 20 people on St Kilda Street in Melbourne. Strutt’s sketches show the development of his artwork on bushrangers and the focus on characterisation. He would sometimes depict his bushrangers as miserable rather than the popular image of them as defiant rebels. 

William Strutt (1886), pencil and wash, 302 x 563mm, Rex Nan Kivell Collection, National Library of Australia