ISSN 1039-3498 | no. 45 | June 2000
George
Raper Collection
Library acquires First Fleet treasure
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The National Library of Australia has added to its highly valued First Fleet material with another significant acquisitionthe George Raper Collection |

George Raper (17691797)
The Melancholy Loss of H.M.S. Sirius off Norfolk Island March 19th
1790
watercolour on paper; 18 x 22.8 cm
From the Pictorial Collection
The Minister for the Arts and the Centenary of Federation, the Hon. Peter McGauran, announced the new acquisition at a function at the Library on 5 June. Simultaneously with the announcement, the collection of Rapers nine elegantly drawn maps, five coastal drawings and a manuscript of his naval observations was launched on the Librarys web site.
Treasured by the Raper family for more than 200 years in England, the papers illustrate the journey by George Raper, who in 1787 at the age of 17, sailed from England to Australia on HMS Sirius, the flagship of the First Fleet. Raper recorded the ports and coasts, from the Canary Islands to Port Jackson on a voyage that changed Australian history.
One of the special treasures of the collection is the drawing The Melancholy Loss of HMS Sirius. After the shipwreck off Norfolk Island, the fledgling colony in New South Wales was left with only one small boat and faced the risk of complete isolation.
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During his time with the First Fleet,
George Raper circumnavigated the globe. He narrowly escaped shipwreck
twice before the HMS Sirius foundered on the reef off Norfolk
Island. The entire crew, including Raper, faced court martial for the
loss of His Majestys ship. The National Librarys
Director-General, Jan Fullerton said that since the arrival of the
collection, there had been a lot of excitement at the Library. Today
is a very special day for the Library. We work very hard to build a
first class collection of material in many formats that allow
researchers to create a rounded picture of Australias past and
present history. It was therefore very rewarding when the Library was
approached by the owners as the most appropriate home for this
significant collection.
Much work had been done behind the scenes to ensure that as many Australians as possible had access to the collection and to preserve the material for future generations. |
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George Raper (17691797) |
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By placing the collection on the Librarys web site, it will be on permanent display 365 days of the year. People will be able to examine the fine details of the works by using the latest digital technology from anywhere in Australia, she said Minister McGauran said the Raper collection was one of the last remaining collections of First Fleet material in private hands and thanked the Raper family for its generous gesture. He said libraries performed a vital role in ensuring all Australians had access to their heritage for generations to come. |
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Director-General Jan Fullerton
poses with the George Raper Collection, |
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As custodians of our heritage, the
National Library not only takes special care of these personal
histories, it works hard to open up the past for all Australians to see.
George Rapers maps, paintings and manuscript notebook will be
instantly available at the click of a button.
Readers can view the George Raper collection at: www.nla.gov.au/exhibitions/georgeraper. The exhibition of nine maps, five coastal drawings and the manuscript will be open to the public in the Ferguson Room daily until 30 June from 10 am to 4 pm. |
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Pictorial Librarian Linda Groom,
curatorial researcher for the Raper |
Please address any comments and enquiries to The Editor, Gateways: gateways@nla.gov.au