Gully at Woolongong (Wollongong) south of Sydney, Australia c1874.

by Prout, John Skinner

Antique Print of Australian rainforest gully at Woolongong, with palms and tree ferns c1874.

Antique steel engraving by Thomas Heawood from a drawing by John Skinner Prout for Australia Illustrated by Edwin Carton Booth. Published in London by Virtue and Company circa 1874. Many of the finest antique engravings for Australia Illustrated were engraved from mirror images of Skinner Prout's fine sketches.

Skinner Prout was born on 19 December 1805 at Plymouth in England. On 14 December 1840 he arrived in Sydney with his wife and seven children. He brought a complete lithographic printing press with him, and in early 1841 he started producing lithographed versions of his drawings of Sydney. In January 1844 Prout moved to Hobart and commenced drawing Hobart and its environs for a series of lithographs. Skinner Prout went on many sketching trips throughout New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria, often accompanying sketching clubs that he helped to organize. Prout and his family returned to England in April 1848.

This lovely antique print has fine later hand-colour. It is in good condition, with wide margins as published. Image size is 123 x 175mm (4 7/8 x 6 7/8 inches). Page size is 215 x 270cm (8 1/4 x 10 1/2 inches).