Scenery in the goldfields, Western Australia

Details

A.S. Forsyth, Olliver & Forsyth, and Albert Lomer & Co. (Photographers)
Scenery in the goldfields, Western Australia
titled on the mounts: 'Mr Clements by a camel, Norseman W.A.'; 'Scottier Goldmine Dundas, W.A. May 96'; 'Looking towards Lake Cowan W.A.'; 'First gold smelted in Norseman W.A., from Ophir Goldmine weight 116oz.'; 'A camel train in front of store in Norseman'; 'Our camp in the bush, December 1891'; and A studio portrait photograph, Brisbane, three further inscribed: 'Mr Clements my Mate He is just about to start off for our mine on his camel Potato (The camels name. Spud for short good old spud'; 'Our camp in the Bush on Wednesday morning 9th Dec 1891 at Broken dawn .... Xmas day a Happy New Year to all From Andrew'; and 'Richard 4/1/93' on the reverse, five stamped 'Pioneer Art Galleries, A.S. Forsyth, Norseman, WA'
albumen prints on the photographer's stamped card mounts (five by 'Pioneer Art Galleries, A.S. Forsyth, Norseman, WA') and a carte-de-visite
unframed
4¼ x 6½in. (10.8 x 16.5cm.) (7)

Lot Essay

A.S. Forsyth's Pioneer Studios were at Norseman, Western Australia, 1897-1900. Olliver may be the photogapher Richard Oliver, recorded at Maritana, Kalgoorlie, in 1897. Albert Lomer was a Brisbane photographer active in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria from 1862-1900.

Gold was first discovered near Dundas, WA, in 1892, in the area now known as the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. The town of Norseman, some 724 km east of Perth, took its name from the horse (Norse-man) of Lawrence Sinclair, one of the Shetland prospectors who struck gold there in August 1894. The new townsite was gazetted in May 1895. It struggled due to the established town of Dundas being so close, but has continued to produce gold ever since, and is Australia's longest continually running gold mining operation.

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