Victoria Illustrated. First Edition engravings after S.T. Gill. c1857

by Gill, Samuel Thomas

Published by Sands & Kenny, Melbourne & Sydney. 1857.
First edition publication of the highly successful series of Victorian engravings after drawings by S.T. Gill. The Victorian goldfields and towns in Victoria during the 20 years after his arrival there. ST Gill's sketches illustrated scenes in colonial Melbourne, Geelong, the goldfields townships, and elsewhere in Victoria. They were engraved on steel by James Tingle (1790-1860) and Arthur Willmore (1814-1888), for publication as Victoria Illustrated' in 1857.

Original brown boards with raised bands and gold tooling on spine and gold title and flourishing tooling on cover. Cover is rather rubbed.. Pages are loose. No tissue guards but plates are clean throughout. 45 full page engravings with frontispiece. 20 x 28cm (8 x 11 inches). Cover: 215 x 285 x 60mm (8.5 x 11.25 x 2 3/8 inches)

With his family, Samuel Thomas Gill (1818-1880) emigrated in 1839 from England to Adelaide. By 1852 he had arrived at the Victorian gold diggings. He may not have been successful in finding gold, but over the next twenty years he produced characterful drawings of the Australian gold fields in Victoria and New South Wales, many of which were published as engravings and lithographs. ST Gill's legacy is the finest graphic record ever done of the Australian goldrushes.