Thomas Watling (International) assertion Thomas Watling i(A33479 works by)
Born: Established: 1762 ; Died: Ceased: ca. 1814
Gender: Male
Visitor assertion Arrived in Australia: 1791
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BiographyHistory

Artist. Thomas Watling was transported to Sydney in 1791 for forgery. His artistic talents were used by the surgeon-general, and naturalist John White. Many of his works are held in the "Watling Collection" of drawings in the British Museum of Natural History. Thomas Watling was pardoned and left Australia on 5th April 1797. He returned to his birth place, Dumfries in Scotland. His Letters from an Exile in Botany-Bay, to His Aunt in Dumfries is one of the early Australian writings.

Most Referenced Works

Affiliation Notes

  • Australian Colonial Narrative Journalism:

    In the absence of a colonial press, letters from the colonists, often written with the intent they be circulated widely or published, stood in for more formal types of reportage. Thomas Watling's letters home to his ‘Ever Revered Aunt’ in 1793, advised her that she could publish them “after the revisal by an abler hand”. They include descriptions of the Australian geography, fauna and flora; portrayals and commentary concerning the local Eora people; and criticism of various aspects of life in the colony, particularly the treatment of convicts. They were published 1794 in Penrith, England as Letters from an Exile at Botany-Bay, to His Aunt in Dumfries: Giving a Particular Account of the Settlement of New South Wales, with the Customs and Manners of the Inhabitants. (Scotland : Ann Bell , c.1794

Last amended 7 Feb 2018 13:30:11
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