Help us Protect our Timeless Treasures
We need your support to restore or repair more than 30 at risk treasures, from fine art and furniture, to textiles, dresses and artefacts.
Keeping Heritage Alive
Caring for our collection is constant and vital if we are to protect these treasures for the future.
The National Trust (NSW) is custodian to one of the largest and most historically significant collections in Australia, consisting of more than 60,000 objects ranging from paintings, drawings, and sculpture to tapestries, textiles and dresses; from furniture, artefacts and fountains to books, documents and decorative items.
The collections provide a bridge between the past and present, embodying local and associated histories and cultural narratives at the special places they reside in. They bring
us closer to the stories of the many people who lived and worked in our places. The collections represent Australia and the lives of New South Wales’s diverse communities.
Caring for such significant collections is constant and vital if we are to protect these treasures for the future.
Help us protect these timeless treasures and support the National Trust’s Collections Appeal. Some of the most significant items needing urgent attention are listed here. We invite you to explore our collection, hear their stories and learn more about their past.
You can donate online at nationaltrust.org.au/donate-appeal-nsw or email donate@nationaltrust.com.au for more information.
Thank you for your generosity, support, and commitment to heritage.
David Burdon Director, Conservation
Musical and Ornamental
MOTT HARP, C. 1840
Lindesay, Darling Point
Lindesay is historically significant as the first major house constructed on Darling Point. Charles Nicholson purchased the Gothic villa in 1845 and was a collector of valuable books, antiquities, and objects. Quietly gracing the corner in a reception room stands a rare c. 1840 harp, one of only fifty made by musicians to royalty, renowned piano and harp maker J H R Mott of London.
The Mott harp is a very beautiful and rare object and a fitting addition to the elegant nineteenth century drawing room. The rosewood veneer and gilt harp requires serious work despite evident attempts at repair. It rests on four lion’s paw feet and boasts eight pedals. The front facing winged figure on the crown is loose; there are several fine cracks, problems with veneers, rusted tuning pins and missing string pegs.
Conservation treatments will include stabilisation of the timber areas and lifting laminate, full surface dry and aqueous clean, infills as required and regilding of surfaces. Turning pins and pegs will be cleaned and oiled, and pedals removed, repaired, and replaced.
Estimated cost of conservation: $12,500
Mott Harp c. 1840, rosewood veneer, gilt, (photography by SGR Photo)
Artwork
HORSES IN THE SNOW, JAMES HOWE CARSE, C. 1895
Woodford Academy, Blue Mountains
Part of a collection of 19th-century paintings acquired to dress Woodford along with the 1642 Still Life by the Dutch painter, Gerrit Heda.
Horses in the Snow is attributed to a somewhat mysterious colonial artist, James Howe Carse, known as J. Carr, J.G Carr, James Carr, J.A Carse. This work was attributed to E. H. Carse as it was identified as such in an early inventory list at Woodford and mentioned in a 1935 SMH article about Woodford.
While the painting is in good condition, despite a slight slackening of the primary canvas support and heavy surface dirt, the frame is in extremely poor condition. The frame and inner slip matches the framing of the Carse painting held by the Art Gallery of NSW. The canvas back is stamped Winsor & Newton, a London firm incorporated in 1881, thus indicating that the work was completed post this date. Mystery or not, the painting and its frame cry out for restoration, with the removal of the heavy surface dirt, retouching, and the repair of the original curved slip.
Estimated cost of conservation: $4,500
Horses in the Snow, James Howe Carse, c. 1895, oil on canvas (photography by Digital Restoration Services)
SUNQUA TREATY PORT PAINTINGS, C. 1835
Bedervale, Braidwood
A rare painted history of an era when France, America, Britain and Holland had stakes in China. This series of four paintings reveal ports, forts and scenes in 1830s Canton for European traders and visitors seeking memorabilia. Acquired by Captain John Coghill, a canny Scottish sea captain who journeyed often from the UK via the East, Coghill settled in Australia and built Bedervale Homestead in 1840. Similar paintings are extremely rare, and restoration work is needed to maintain these highly significant historic works.
Unfortunately the canvases appear to be glued to the supporting wooden strainers causing circular cracking to appear in the painted surfaces. The artworks will be cleaned and an isolating acrylic sheet inserted behind wooden panels to provide further insulation from the back. The frames will be cleaned, stabilised, and losses infilled. Further testing is included and necessary to establish the aesthetic and structural requirements and confirm the next steps, namely the introduction of thermos-adhesive consolidant through the cracks, to reduce cupping and raised paint.
Estimated cost of conservation:
The Legations – French, American, British and Dutch Hongs at Canton, $4,500
British Fleet At Whampoa Anchorage, $4,500
Island Forts, Bocca Tigris, $5,000
Praya Grande, Macao, $6,000
The Legations – French, American, British and Dutch Hongs at Canton, oil on linen
British Fleet At Whampoa Anchorage, oil on linen
Island Forts, Bocca Tigris, oil on linen
Praya Grande, Macao, oil on linen
(Photography by Jacquie Manning Photography)
FISH STILL LIFE, 1840 WILLIAM BUELOW GOULD (1801–1853)
Golden Vale, Sutton Forest
An English convict renowned for detailed paintings of botanical, bird and fish specimens, this painting is similar to Gould’s work in the National Gallery of Australia. The contrast of Gould’s convict experience with his exquisite drawings still captivates audiences. Receiving his freedom in 1835 led to regular output with examples in Australian and overseas galleries. Tasmanian awardwinning author, Richard Flanagan, was so inspired by Gould’s work that he wrote Gould’s Book of Fish, a fictionalised account of the convict’s life and art. Conservation required includes de-framing, cleaning, re-lining and re-stretching the canvas, removal of old varnish, infilling and the application of a new surface coat before a final topcoat.
Estimated cost of conservation: $11,000
EASTWOOD HOUSE
Old Government House, Parramatta
Eastwood House, from which the Sydney suburb takes its name, is a historic building with important associations extending back to 1795. It’s believed that William Rutledge (1806–1876), a pioneer merchant, built the house in 1840 at the time the watercolour was painted. The house changed hands and was bought by the Catholic Church in 1929 and incorporated into Marist College, Eastwood, and added to the Register of the National Estate in 1978.
The paper is in poor condition, attached with adhesive to the window mat and glued to an acidic board. Mould and foxing stains need to be retouched and surface dirt removed. The frame needs both cleaning and repairs.
Estimated of cost of conservation: $5,500
Fish Still Life, 1840, oil on canvas (photography by Digital Conservation Services)
Eastwood House, watercolour (photography by Digital Conservation Services)
BLUE WREN,
KOOKABURRA,
AND MAGPIE ON A BRANCH, NEVILLE HENRY CAYLEY (1854–1903)
Part of a set of 18 works, estate of the late Jill Chalker National Trust collection
Born in England, artist Neville Cayley made an important contribution to documenting Australian birds and their behaviours. This series includes magpies, wrens, pigeons, kookaburras and even a lone butterfly. Cayley’s detail was exquisite. He won awards overseas, and his works are still sought after today.
Painted over various years, many works in this collection are plagued by foxing, require cleaning and reframing while backings and mounts need attention to ensure proper conservation. These works will form a small exhibition touring National Trust properties in 2025–2026. The artist’s name appears as Neville Cayley (not to be confused with his son, another important ornithological painter signed N W Cayley).
Estimated cost of conservation:
Blue Wren, $2,000
Kookaburra, $2,000
Magpie on Branch, $1,000
Blue Wren, watercolour
Kookaburra, watercolour
Magpie on Branch, watercolour (photography by Digital Conservation Services)
HOBART TOWN, VAN DIEMEN’S LAND, C. 1849
Old Government House, Parramatta
Steel-engraved images of the colonies and far-off lands were often produced to encourage immigrants to the new colony. This hand-coloured steel engraving was printed by London printmakers, John and Frederick Tallis. In 1850 John Tallis set up his own company, using a similar image heading a map of Van Diemen’s Island in his top selling 1851 Illustrated Atlas. Tallis was renowned for the elegance and accuracy of his maps and prints produced by illustrators and engravers such as John Rapkin and J. Rogers.
The print is cockled and detaching from the backing board and window mat. It will be removed and washed to reduce paper discolouration, flattened and repaired. Frame damage will be repaired and gilding from the inner slip retouched.
Estimated cost of conservation: $3,000
Hobart Town, Van Diemen’s Land, c. 1849, hand-coloured steel engraving (photography by Digital Conservation Services)
UNTITLED COLLAGE, 1850
National Trust collection
‘Paper and paste’ craft was popular in the 19th-century and industrialisation provided plentiful paper for scrapbooks, cards, and decoupage. It would be sixty years before Braque and Picasso’s work re-named it ‘collage’. Primary maker, B. Cox, put thought into composition and illustration like any artist. Classical buildings are sketched while cut-out figures promenade on a harbourside. The work is in poor condition with dirt and foxing stains. Excess glue is discoloured and paper cut-out figures are creased and detaching. The artwork will be removed from its frame, cleaned and the figures fully detached. All components will be washed, re-adhered, then reattached to the backing. The frame will be cleaned and losses to faux bois (simulated painted wood) inpainted. Finally the inner slip will be replaced matching the original.
Estimated cost of conservation: $7,000
Collage, 1850, paper and card (photography by Digital Conservation Services)
Untitled
PORTRAIT – HUME FAMILY MEMBER
, 1830
Mary Martha Pearson (1798–1871) National Trust collection
Pearson exhibited 83 paintings at the Royal Academy and Society of British Artists. This painting, presented to the National Trust in 1992 by the Historic Houses Trust of NSW, originated from a donation from the estate of the late Mr Wield Armstrong (1833–1913) to Vaucluse Park Trust. The sitter is related to explorer Hamilton Hume (1797–1873). The fine dress and jewellery as well as the elaborate gilded frame suggests a prosperous family connection. Research reveals the donor’s links with colonial life at Old Government House, yet mystery remains as to the Hume connection. The donor’s father, also named Wield Armstrong (1805–1857), migrated to NSW in 1832 and was employed by Governor King as a servant at Government House, Parramatta, until 1837. The painting’s varnish has discoloured and it is stained with ingrained grime causing an uneven surface sheen. There is a small tear and media loss. Mould is present with multiple small areas of abrasion where the edges connect with the frame. The frame has overall oxidised bronze overpaint covering the original underlying gilding.
Treatment will include removal of mould and a gentle dry surface clean. The canvas will be stabilised, and the alignment corrected. The small tear will be repaired. This will involve the area being humidified and flattened to ensure proper alignment of pictorial composition and the threads and edges of the tear adhered by organising
warp and weft. The missing areas of paint will be infilled and an isolating varnish layer added before the final layer of conservation grade varnish.
The frame will be cleaned and the oxidized and corroded bronze overpaint removed. Following testing and confirmation the original gilding underneath is in good condition, the overpaint removal. Gold leaf will be applied to areas of loss followed by a final protective coating.
Estimated cost of conservation: $13,500
Portrait – Hume Family Member, 1830, oil painting (photography by Digital Conservation Services)
Textiles
MORTLAKE TAPESTRY, C. 1675
Retford Park, Bowral
Believed to stem from the legendary English Mortlake Tapestry Works (1619–1704) commissioned by King Charles I, this extremely valuable, although now somewhat fragile artwork, is the first of a series of three (others whereabouts unknown) depicting Ovid’s tragic Roman myth of Pyramus and Thisbe, a tale akin to and likely Shakespeare’s inspiration for ‘Romeo and Juliet’. With a floral border on three sides and measuring 202 x 375cm the tapestry illustrates its story in clear silk threads including wefts of reds, blues, greens and yellows.
Large tears and breakage of the silk fibres are impacting the upper right corner as the silk thread has deteriorated and weakened
over time. The impact of the weight of the tapestry has been intensified by a second backing being overlaid the original weak backing and causing an unequal distribution of the weight of the tapestry. Painstaking restoration work is required on the silk fibres, weak backing, visible tears, and uneven hang to ensure the Mortlake Tapestry continues to hang proudly in place for the enjoyment of future generations.
A magnificent and imposing artifact, the records show that the tapestry was installed at Retford Park in the 1960s and kept on display throughout the tenure of James Fairfax AC.
Estimated cost of conservation: $19,000
Mortlake Tapestry c. 1675, wool and silk (photography by Paul Wallace)
EMBROIDERED PANELS, 1907
Riversdale, Goulburn
Three eye-catchingly large, glorious woodframed crewel worked panels adorn the drawing-room walls at Riversdale, Goulburn. Depicted amid the foliage we see lush colourful fruits alongside parrots, waratahs, and crimson rosellas. The works benefit from having exact provenance, so important for assessing value. Originally a coaching inn, colonial Georgian style Riversdale saw various iterations and owners but from 1875 was the Twynam family home, passing to the National Trust in 1967.
Emily Twynam (sister of famous suffragette Lady Mary Windeyer) was involved in the decorative arts entering shows locally and overseas – these panels were displayed in the 1907 Exhibition of Women’s Work (Melbourne and Sydney). Her watercolour sketches were transposed into the satin stitch embroidery panels (wool on linen) by her neighbour Miss Louise Guerry de Lauret, offering colourful historical insight into the life and activities of women at this level of society.
The heavy framing and difficult access due to the inordinate backing arrangement has hampered management. Treatment will include replacement of the frames and backing boards with lightweight alternatives. The textile panels will be cleaned, inspected for pest damage, and stitched to padded archival backing board.
Estimated cost of conservation: $18,000
Embroidered Panels, linen and wool, (3 panels 2220 x 1020 x 90mm) (photography by Nick Nicholson)
EMMA COGHILL SAMPLER 1831
Bedervale, Braidwood
A simple cross-stitch sampler by Emma Coghill (1822–1896) at age eight. The sampler is part of the Bedervale collection, an in-situ collection of six generations of the Coghill-Maddrell family in Braidwood that includes furniture, artworks, books, and significant manuscripts and photographs.
The sampler is faded and has lost embroidery threads. The linen is discoloured with small holes from broken threads. Hand-stitched to a cotton border then laced around a padded backing, the sampler is framed in a handmade timber frame.
Conservation involves cleaning, and repairs and reinforcement of areas that have deteriorated.
Estimated cost of conservation and showcase: $4,000
BEARING CLOTH C. 1790
Old Government House, Parramatta
Used at the birth of Nicholas and Johanna Nepean’s children in Devon, England. Nepean served as the commanding officer of the New South Wales Corp from 1790 to 1793. Donated to the National Trust by Jane Leman in 2023, the embroidered linen depicts the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Nude except for Adam’s hip binding, the couple stand beside the Tree of Life while a large snake (the devil) taunts Eve with a juicy apple.
This is very rare, highly significant early textile requires a protective display case. Repairs will be made to the linen. It will also be framed, sink mounted with spacers and have Corflute backing and UV-filtering glazing applied.
Estimated cost of conservation and showcase: $4,000
Emma Coghill Sampler 1831, wool and silk
Bearing Cloth c. 1790, linen, cotton and silk thread (photography by Digital Conservation Services)
BANYAN OR MAN’S DRESSING GOWN, C.
1840
Grossmann House, Maitland
A rare example of an early 19th-century man’s handmade dressing gown or night gown (or banyan) of brown, fawn and green check lightweight cotton. Dressing gowns were informal ‘at home’ dress worn by gentlemen in the 18th and much of the 19th-century. The form was derived from eastern dress such as kaftans and worn over the shirt and breeches and later trousers. Subdued colours were characteristic of early Victorian men’s clothing.
Extensive repairs have been made to this garment over time and in different styles. Repairs are required to a burn mark and fabric under the arms and around the waist.
Estimated cost of conservation: $7,000
PURPLE VELVET EVENING GOWN, C. 1930
Saumarez Homestead, Armidale
An evening gown with padded shoulders and gathering under the bust. The long sleeves have buttons that close at the pointed cuffs. Constructed using both machine stitching and hand finishing, this style and fabric was very fashionable for the period.
A luxurious and soft fabric, velvet is susceptible to stubborn stains and easily attracts dust and dirt, with evident deterioration along the seams of the garment. Careful cleaning will remove marks and restore the fabric and dull appearance. Tears will be repaired and areas of deterioration stabilised and supported.
Estimated cost of conservation: $6,000
Banyan or man’s dressing gown, c. 1840, cotton (photography by Lindie Ward)
Purple velvet evening gown, c. 1930, velvet,silk
Furniture
THOMAS WEST DESK, C. 1820
Old Government House, Parramatta
Owned by Thomas West, a convict who arrived in Sydney in 1801 and became a successful businessman. West successfully petitioned Governor Macquarie in 1810 to build a watermill behind Rushcutters Bay. This large writing desk was used by West and his descendants and gifted to the National Trust in 2024 from the family of Hilda Louisa Brackstone (née Blackwood).
A rare, very early example of furniture manufacture in Australia with distinctive star-shaped inlays, these decorative features match the motif on the important James Oatley longcase clock also owned by West, at Old Government House. While the cabinetmaker of the clock is unknown,
it appears the same cabinetmaker was commissioned by West for the secretaire cabinet. During a move, correspondence and articles from 1810 fell from where they had been concealed for decades including the highly important, rare letter with reply from Governor Macquarie.
The cabinet has carbonised with a crusty layer that needs to be slowly softened and removed. Treatment requires the most passive solvent, softened water be used, then combinations of solvent and abrasive to retain the original patination.
Estimated cost of conservation: $5,500
Thomas West Desk c. 1820, cedar, huon pine, ebony, bone (photography by SGR Photo)
BOOKCASE, C. 1835
Old Government House, Parramatta
A beautifully proportioned bookcase, displaying features unusual in early colonial furniture. Crafted from cedar which was popular for the era, yet it is the actual construction that sparks interest with fine detailing, the veneering, channelling on the pilasters and surprising bun-shaped feet. The front base moulding exhibits damage while a professional clean is required to reveal its true colour. Installation of thin, aesthetically consistent spacers beneath the legs will rectify misalignment of the upper cabinet pieces, and removal of metal corrosion and the darkened oil and grime from the timber are needed. A conservation-grade coating to seal the timber and isolate the early shellac from the final coating will be applied.
Estimated cost of conservation: $5,500
BREAKFAST TABLE, C. 1825
Old Government House, Parramatta
Country residence for the first ten colonial governors, a cedar table stands in the Breakfast Parlour on a central platform of turned columns, reeded legs with brass terminals and sabre legs, distinguished by the top cross banded with casuarina. The Greek key pattern stringing is possibly white beech unlike similar tables with pine stringing. The 120cm width is large for its time, made of a single piece of Australian cedar. The table is consistent in style with English designs around 1810. Some refinishing work has been undertaken, but one foot is split. Conservation will assess the originality of the damaged foot, repair or replace, and reinforce the foot if necessary.
Estimated cost of conservation: $1,500
Bookcase c. 1835, cedar (photography by SGR Photo)
Breakfast table c. 1825, cedar (photography by SGR Photo)
Sculpture
SEAHORSE FOUNTAIN, 1988
Norman Lindsay Gallery, Faulconbridge
The Seahorse Fountain is a symbol of the Norman Lindsay Gallery and of Lindsay’s unending energy when it came to landscaping the property. The fountain is the largest and most ambitious of Norman Lindsay’s Springwood Garden sculptures. In 1947 when town water supply was connected to the property, Norman Lindsay created the fountain in his trademark cement construction. Having a fountain was not possible when the supply of water relied on tanks and family members recall that the connection of the fountain was Norman’s priority. In 1988 a bronze replacement was cast and placed on the plinth.
The bronze surface is stained and in places corroded. The treatment will entail a full surface clean, and removal of biological growth, and areas of corrosion removed and treated. The surface will be treated with protective wax coating, retaining the natural patination of the metal, and a maintenance schedule implemented for future management of the fountain.
Estimated cost of conservation: $7,000
Seahorse Fountain, 1988, bronze (photography by SGR Photo)
BRONZE STATUES, C. 1900
LO SPINARIO AND THE WRESTLER
Everglades House & Gardens, Leura
Everglades’ gardens and statuary bring a European sensibility to the magnificent Blue Mountains. Designed and built in the 1930s by Danish-born landscape gardener, Paul Sorensen, for Belgian-born manufacturer, Henri van de Velde, much of the classical statuary were Italian replicas acquired by Van de Velde during his overseas travels.
The Wrestler, a bronze sculpture of a young male in athletic or classical Roman stance is a reproduction by the late 19th-century Michele Amodio foundry in Naples of a Roman bronze unearthed from Herculaneum which was destroyed alongside Pompeii. Lo Spinario (Boy with Thorn) is a replica by the Giorgio Somnier Foundry of Naples, of a 1st century BC Italian original now in the Palazzo dei Conservatori, Rome. Van de Velde’s replica, installed in the 1930s, was stolen in 1983 but generous donations enabled the current replica to be purchased in 2012.
Conservation involves specialised cleaning and corrosion treatment will be undertaken, with repairs to damaged areas. A final protect wax coating will be applied to preserve patination.
Estimated cost of conservation of both bronzes: $5,000
Lo Spinario, c. 1900, bronze
The Wrestler, c. 1900, bronze
Books and Correspondence
ETTIE AND JACK MCMANAMEY COURTSHIP LETTERS, 1890–1892
Woodford Academy, Blue Mountains
A collection of over 230 letters detailing a nineteenth century courtship between Henrietta (Ettie) Nielsen, a NSW governess, and John (Jack) McManamey, a teacher. They describe life at that time and the passion and misunderstandings of young love. Gertie, the couple’s daughter donated the property and its contents to the National Trust in 1985. Most are in postmarked envelopes, with each handwritten letter revealing the ever-growing intimacy in their relationship. Protected in a suitcase for over 100 years, the suitcase and its contents need cleaning, repairs and rehousing into conservation grade enclosures, so they can continue to intrigue visitors and tell the story of the romantic courtship of Jack and Ettie.
Estimated cost of conservation: $9,500
Ettie and Jack McManamey courtship letters, 1890–1892
ALFRED SPAIN RARE BOOKS COLLECTION,
1826–1910
National Trust Archives, Millers Point
This collection of 17 rare 19th-century books were originally the property of Alfred Spain (1868–1954), lifelong resident of Neutral Bay whose impact on Sydney was immense. Spain was an architect who produced important buildings including Tooth & Co. and Yorkshire House; he was a Colonel, Taronga Park President and on numerous Boards. Titles in the collection include Pugin’s 1826 Specimens of Gothic Architecture, Robinson’s 1837 Designs for gate cottages, lodges, and park entrances, Morrison’s 1888 Aldine centennial history of NSW, and Chivers’ 1910 Artistic Homes. Mould, foxing, fire and water damaged pages and tears, and disintegration bindings require attention.
Estimated cost of conservation: $31,000
Alfred Spain rare books collection, 1826–1910
THE HOLY BIBLE, 1858
Oxford University Press, British and Foreign Bible Society Grossman House, Maitland
Old bibles abound but this is one of only four bearing identical inscriptions, detailing the travails of one Rev. Robert W Vanderkiste, a Wesleyan minister who set out from Dungog to Eccleston in October 1858. Caught in ferocious weather he became lost for six days in the Allyn range. Exhausted, starving, his horse gone, he likely would have perished but for two sets of brothers; John and William Edwards and James and Edward Stanton who rescued him. In gratitude he presented each man with a Bible, painstakingly inscribing each book with the same account of his ordeal and his thanks. While recovering, Vanderkiste wrote about his mishap. His story titled ‘Lost – but not for ever’ was detailed in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Letters to the Editor. The Grossman House bible belonged
to John Edwards (it is signed by him) but suffers spinal and block damage, detached pages and the cover, involving a tricky and delicate restoration process. Of the other three bibles, James Stanton’s remains with his descendants; Edward Stanton’s is held in the Dungog Museum collection, and the location of the fourth is unknown.
Repairs required are extensive with the front leather covered board to be reattached. End pages and hinges preserving the original paper also need to be repaired, while the front pages with handwritten Edwards family information require reattachment. Finally, the leather binding needs to be cleaned and reconsolidated.
Estimate of conservation: $4,500
The Holy Bible, 1858 (photography by Mitchell Rayment)
STOCK BOOK, CASH BOOK AND LEDGERS
Dundullimal Homestead, Dubbo
These significant books in the Dundullimal Homestead collection (1865–1917) give remarkable insight into everyday life and the running of a large rural station. They detail who was hired, the work they did, and what they were paid. Accounts were meticulously recorded with purchases from the Dundullimal store. Also included are births and deaths of animals, purchases of sheep, cattle and horses, even mentions of rain and storms.
The books need to be cleaned with a soft brush and chemical sponge to remove dirt, insect accretions and unknown matter.
The leather needs to be consolidated and adhered. Loose pages need to be rehoused and torn cloth repaired.
Estimated cost of conservation: $10,500
HISTORICAL JOURNAL, CAPTAIN JOHN HUNTER, 1787–1792
Miss Traill’s House, Bathurst
Captain John Hunter was an officer of the Royal Navy who succeeded Arthur Phillip as the second Governor of New South Wales (1795–1800). Both a sailor and scholar, he explored Parramatta River as early as 1788, and was the first to surmise that Tasmania might be an island in his publication An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island, With the Discoveries That Have Been Made in New South Wales and the Southern Ocean Since the Publication of Phillip’s Voyage, published in 1793. An abridged edition appeared later that year. The journal is in poor condition requiring repairs to the spine and cleaning involving the reattachment of the front board and spine, stabilisation of the back board and repairs to page tears.
Estimated cost of conservation: $5,500
Historical journal, Captain John Hunter, 1787–1792
Stock book, cash book and ledgers (photography by Jude Morrell)
Decorative
WORKBOX, C. 1840
Experiment Farm Cottage, Parramatta
This workbox is a fine example of an important feature of early to mid 19thcentury homes when refined needlework was considered essential to a young woman’s education. The design with Chinoserie decoration reflects the increased trade with East Asia and fascination with China. Inside, various small compartments hold assorted ivory pieces and a pincushion. By the late 19th-century the workbox’s importance declined as the sewing machine changed clothing production and allowed young women to pursue education. The workbox requires cleaning, stabilisation of the lacquer and repairs to the internal tray and hinge. Infill is also required to areas of loss to the decoration.
Estimate cost of conservation: $3,500
TRINKET BOX, C. 1830
Old Government House, Parramatta
Made of inlaid ivory and wood, this jewellery or trinket box is Anglo-Indian Vizagapatam in style. Rectangular in shape it is mounted on four lion’s paw feet with a hinged lid and two compartments inside.
In 2018 the box was cleaned, waxed, and repaired with the replacement of two critical pieces created to address the loss of elements in the decoration. With the recent discovery of the two original missing pieces, the replicas will be replaced with the originals.
Estimate cost of conservation: $1,500
Workbox, c. 1840, gilded lacquer, mother of pearl, and ivory (photography by Digital Conservation Services)
Trinket box c. 1830, inlaid ivory, wood and metal (photography by Digital Conservation Services)
Glossary
TERM DEFINITION
Aqueous clean
Cockling
Corrosion
Crewel
Cupping
Discolouration
This method uses water-based solutions to clean. Aqueous cleaning agents emulsify and encapsulate contaminants so they can be easily removed. Heat, agitation, and ultrasonic energy can be added.
A planar distortion of paper, parchment or textile. It appears as wrinkles, puckers or ripples, often in parallel ridges, without creases.
Corrosion is the process of slowly eating up metals by gas and water vapours present in the atmosphere due to the formation of certain compounds like oxide, sulphides, carbonate etc.
A thin, loosely twisted, worsted yarn (which is a fine smooth yarn spun from combed long-staple wool).
Due to changes in temperature and relative humidity paint may delaminate and curl away from the surface along the cracks. This then forms a concave centre with raised edges like a cup. This area needs to be carefully consolidated locally, to ensure that none of the paint layers are lost.
Discolouration the act of changing the natural colour of something by making it duller or dingier or unnatural or faded. Often in works-on-paper, this results in a yellowing of the artwork.
Foxing
Gilding /regilding
Glazing
Humidification
An age-related process of deterioration that causes spots and browning on old paper objects. Caused by both mould growth or metal impurities within the paper and exacerbated by humidity, dampness and airborne acids.
Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. A gilded object is also described as gilt.
Glazing is a cover of glass or another transparent material placed over the artwork for its protection.
The act or process of increasing moisture content. Used as a method of washing artworks on paper with sensitive pigment and to remove creases and cockling to artwork.
Inpainting and infilling
Inpainting restores missing parts of an image based on the background information. Infiilling is where a small piece has been added to an object to replace a missing piece. Fills may be coloured and textured to blend in with the original surface.
Keys Keys wedge-shaped timber pieces used to tighten the canvas. Metallic inclusions a precursor to foxing which usually evolves as a result of metallic impurities and micro-organisms in the paper.
Mould Mould is a type of fungus that lives on organic matter. Mould grows best in damp and poorly ventilated areas, and reproduces by making spores which can germinate and grow within organic materials to cause staining and structural weakening. May appear as colourful powdery or downy growth on an object’s surface, or as black spots.
Mount or mat burn
Patination
Protective microcrystalline wax coating
Mount or mat burn forms a halo of yellow-brown discolouration around the edge of the exposed ‘window’ of the paper-based artwork. Often caused by exposure to acid transfer from unsuitable framing materials.
The production or formation of a gloss or sheen on the surface of a solid object of any material due to its age and interaction with the environment. Often associated with bronze or other metals, caused by the production by oxidation of a green or brown film on the surface hence the “natural patination on ancient bronzes”.
Applying a hot wax sacrificial coating to outdoor bronze provides a waterproof barrier which helps prevent harmful atmospheric pollutants from contacting and reacting with the surface.
Slip A slip is a small sheet of painted wood placed inside the lip of the outer moulding. Usually, 1cm or ½ cm in size, they are spacers for glass and mount board to create box and float frames.
UV acrylic An alternative to glass, often used by museums and galleries. Clear UV filtering acrylic is specifically formulated to reduce damaging ultraviolet light waves. Unprotected artwork and print media, such as paper and fabric, will fade, turn yellow, or become brittle when exposed to sunlight or artificial light for a long time.
Donate today
Every gift, regardless of size, will help us restore and repair this historically significant collection so they can continue to tell their stories. Thank you for your support and helping us to bring heritage to life.
You can view more of the objects and artwork in the Collection Appeal at nationaltrust.org.au/donate-appeal-nsw
TO DONATE
Go to nationaltrust.org.au/donate-appeal-nsw or scan the QR code. For more information, please email donate@nationaltrust.com.au All donations over $2 are tax deductible.
National Trust of Australia (NSW), ABN 82 491 958 802 NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (NSW) is listed by name as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) from 01 Jul 2000 . It is covered by Item 1 of the table in section 30–15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.
Front cover: Horses in the Snow, James Howe Carse c. 1895, oil on canvas (photography by Digital Restoration Services)