Curio

State Library of New South Wales
William Charles Wentworth

William Charles Wentworth

1861–62
P1 / 1934
Carte de visite

The wealthy pastoralist and statesman William Charles Wentworth (1790 – 1872) arose from a difficult start as the illegitimate son of surgeon father, D’Arcy Wentworth and convict mother, Catherine Crowley. Despite the advantages that came with his father’s status as a free settler and respected official in the colony, William spent much of his life striving for respectability in the eyes of colonial society, whilst fighting against the dominance of the ruling elite.

Although he spent most of his life in England, William went on to become one of New South Wales’ most acclaimed explorers, and one of the colony’s most important colonists. This photograph was captured at the height of Wentworth’s influence during his final visit to Sydney in 1861-1862 when he and his wife were finally accepted into Sydney’s upper class. The act of having his portrait taken in this relaxed and distinguished pose, might well reflect that this was one of the most triumphant moments his life.

Cartes de visites (visiting cards) such as these were the most popular form of photograph in the 19th century. They were originally used in the same way as traditional calling cards, but became wildly popular as novelty items to collect and exchange amongst groups of friends. Carte de visite photographs of famous or distinguished people were particularly sought after.

From rags to riches

D’Arcy Wentworth and his lover Catherine Crowley arrived from England to Sydney in June 1790. It was no sooner that they had arrived, that D’Arcy was appointed to the role of assistant surgeon at Norfolk Island’s general hospital. D’Arcy and his heavily pregnant partner Catherine arrived at the island in August, at which time William Charles Wentworth was born.

In 1796, the young family returned to Sydney, and D’Arcy was promoted to assistant surgeon to the colony. When William’s mother died in 1800, he was sent to school in England. By the time the ambitious and adventurous William returned to Sydney at the age of 20, his father was a very prominent citizen. D’Arcy’s status in the colony allowed William to lead a privileged life as a young man. Governor Lachlan Macquarie appointed young Wentworth to provost-marshal and granted him almost 1500 acres of land on the Nepean.

In May 1813, Wentworth joined other wealthy landowners Gregory Blaxland and William Lawson in an expedition across the Blue Mountains. The success of the expedition resulted in the reward of further land grants, which set him up financially for the rest of his life.

A true patriot

William Charles Wentworth was passionate about his native country. On his return to England in 1816 to study law, he was appalled at the ignorance of the ‘mother country’ about Australia. In London in 1819 he published A Statistical, Historical, and Political Description of the Colony of New South Wales and Its Dependent Settlements in Van Diemen's Land, With a Particular Enumeration of the Advantages Which These Colonies Offer for Emigration and Their Superiority in Many Respects Over Those Possessed by the United States of America. He then proceeded to celebrate the glories of this ‘New Britannia’ in a long and grandiose poem entitled Australasia. He entered it in a Cambridge University poetry competition in 1822 where it placed second. Both productions were successful – the book was reprinted several times and contributed to an increase in emigration to Australia and the poem, which was dedicated to Lachlan Macquarie, became very popular in the Colony.

This extract from Australasia refers to Wentworth’s crossing of the Blue Mountains:

‘…How mute, how desolate thy stunted woods,

How dread the chasms, where many an eagle broods,

How dark thy caves, how lone thy torrents' roar,

As down thy cliffs precipitous they pour,

Broke on our hearts, when first with vent'rous tread

We dared to rouse thee from thy mountain bed!

Till gain'd with toilsome step thy topmost heath,

We spied the cheering smokes ascend beneath,

And, as a meteor shoots athwart the night,

The boundless champaign burst upon our sight,

Till nearer seen the beauteous landscape grew.

Op'ning like Canaan on rapt Israel's view….