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ISSN 1039-3498 | no. 47| October 2000


Watercolours commemorate Daniel and Elizabeth Draper

Few works are known to be by the hand of John Botterill, a miniaturist, portrait painter and professional photographer appearing in Melbourne directories from 1862 to 1866 as an artist of Caroline Street, South Yarra. The same cannot be said for his subjects. Two of the Library’s recent acquisitions—a pair of framed watercolours of 1855–60, commemorate the lives of Reverend Daniel James Draper and his wife Elizabeth.

Revd Daniel James Draper

Reverend Draper was born in England in 1810, arriving in New South Wales as a Methodist missionary on 3 April 1836. His service to the developing colonies was distinguished, in both his leadership and the substantial building program initiated under his direction. He was responsible for the construction of many churches in New South Wales before transferring to Adelaide in 1846. During his stay in South Australia he oversaw the building of 27 chapels in suburban and country areas, including the Pirie Street Church—ample justification for Adelaide’s reputation as the city of churches!

In addition to an extensive building program, including three bluestone churches in Melbourne, he was involved in the bitter disputes and controversies surrounding government funding and education. His strong leadership was illustrated by the increases in church and Sunday School attendance and the eventual agreement of the Methodist Conference to continue with a public system of education. He paid regular visits to the goldfields and rural areas and in 1859 was appointed the fifth president of the Australian Wesleyan Methodist Conference. With Walter Powell, a Melbourne merchant, he became the driving force behind the establishment of Wesley College at Melbourne University.

Elizabeth Draper

In 1865 he was granted leave of absence and with his second wife Elizabeth made the voyage back to England to represent Australia at the British Conference. For Elizabeth Draper (nee Shelley) it was quite an adventure. She was born in Australia in 1808 making her one of the earliest citizens. On 5 January 1866 Reverend and Mrs Draper boarded the London at Plymouth for the return journey. A fierce storm off the Bay of Biscay crossed the ship’s path and she sank on 11 January with 240 of the passengers and crew. Survivors reported that Draper offered fellow passengers comfort to the very end, tragically perishing the day after the opening of Wesley College, where those present had paid honour to him in his absence.

Botterill’s watercolour portraits of Daniel and Elizabeth Draper each have an inscription on the reverse commemorating their death. The Library holds one other portrait of Reverend Draper in its collection—a stipple engraving by John Cochran executed when he was President of the Australasian Conference in 1859.
—Eleonora Rubenis

Top left: John Botterill (1817–1881)
Portrait of Reverend Daniel James Draper 1855–60
watercolour; 28.2 cm x 18.7 cm (octagonal)

Pictorial Collection

Bottom left: John Botterill (1817–1881)
Portrait of Elizabeth Draper (nee Shelley) 1855–60
watercolour; 28.2 x 18.3 cm (octagonal)
Pictorial Collection

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