Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Black swan (Cygnus atratus), 1797 (reproduction)

Black swan (Cygnus atratus), 1797 (reproduction)

TAL & Dai-ichi Life Derby Collection, Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW; Purchased from The Rt Hon. The 19th Earl of Derby, 2011; PXD 1098, vol. 1, f. 80

Watercolour heightened with gum arabic

Young Black swans called cygnets are covered in grey down for the first few weeks until their black feathers appear.
Black swans have elongated necks that can reach deep into the water to feed on algae and other vegetation.
During the nineteenth century, the original Western Australian colony was called the ‘Swan River Settlement’.
In 1973, the Black swan was declared as the bird emblem of Western Australia and now appears on the state flag.
The term ‘Black swan’ describes a rare and totally unexpected event. This comes from the belief that all swans were white until Black swans were first seen in Western Australia by European explorers.
The Black swan is the only entirely black coloured swan in the world.