Curio

State Library of New South Wales
William Lawson

William Lawson

after 1846
MIN 63
Watercolour miniature on ivory

William ‘Old Ironbark’ Lawson (1774-1850) was born in Finchley, England to Scottish parents. After training as a surveyor in London, he relocated to Australia in 1800, and settled in Sydney in 1806 where he was appointed to lieutenant. As with many officers at the time, Lawson developed an interest in agriculture, and like William Charles Wentworth and Gregory Blaxland, he wished to expand the capacity of his assets.

The successful crossing of the Blue Mountains in 1813 was the first of a long list of achievements for Lawson. In 1819, he was appointed commandant of the new settlement of Bathurst, and shortly after he discovered and opened the rich farming lands of Mudgee. By this time, Lawson had numerous estates spanning from Springwood to Mudgee. Here he bred quality imported stock from England such as Merino sheep, Shorthorn cattle and Thoroughbred horses.

It is likely that this portrait was painted in William Lawson’s later years, after all of his success. With a smile on his face, Lawson appears confident and satisfied with his achievements and the legacy of wealth and land holdings he amassed for his children and grandchildren. The image is probably a copy of an original 1845–46 daguerreotype by Australia’s first known professional photographer, George Goodman.

After the Lawson’s sandstone and brick mansion was demolished in 1929, the stone was used to erect a wall in Vaucluse House, and the bricks where used to build cottages in Granville. 

‘Old Ironbark’ William Lawson was praised for his strength and endurance, and earned his nickname from the rough barked Australian gum tree. 

The State Library holds over 200 miniature portraits in its collection that were created between 1770 and 1940.

During the early 18th century, ivory was a popular support for watercolour portrait miniatures. By 1839, the demand for these images started to decline due to the introduction of daguerreotype, the first commercially successful photographic processing technique. 

William Lawson’s property, Veteran Hall at Prospect in western Sydney was acquired by the Metropolitan Water Board in 1881. The Lawson’s sandstone and brick mansion that stood on the property was demolished by the Water Board in 1929 to make way for Prospect reservoir which still exists today.