Lantern Slide and photograph of plan of early Hobart Town, from a survey done in 1804-1805, showing later alterations, Van Diemen's Land.

Abstract

Lantern slide from the collection of James Backhouse Walker of a map/plan of early Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land. The plan also appears in James Backhouse Walker's paper 'The Founding of Hobart, by Lieut.-Governor Collins' read to the Royal Society of Tasmania 14/10/1889. In this he describes the plan, "I am indebted to my friend Mr. Mault for a beautifully executed plan, which shows very clearly the original features of the ground, and the position of the first camp, and also indicates the alterations which have since taken place. It is taken from a survey made by Surveyor-General Harris in 1804-5. The original plan was discovered many years ago in the Lands Office at Sydney, and was presented by the New South Wales Government to our Lands Department. The Deputy- Commissioner of Crown Lands, Mr. Albert Reid, kindly presented me with a tracing of it." Lantern slide thought to have been prepared by J.W. Beattie (1859-1930) whose studio locations were in Elizabeth Street, Hobart from 1891-1920, Murray Street from 1921-40 and Cat and Fiddle Arcade, Hobart, until 1994.