Bottle-Trees of Queensland, North Australia. Brachychiton rupestris. c1886

$145.00

Bottle Trees of Queensland, North Australia antique print.

Dr George Bennet, of Sydney, New South Wales, has sent us an account of that curious tree, the "bottle-tree" of Queensland, North Australia, accompanied by the drawing we have engraved. "On Nov. 10, 1871 when on a visit at jimbour station, Darling Downs, the property of the Hon. Joshua P. Bell, Colonial Treasurer, I was invited," he says, "to visit part of the run a few miles distant, where some very fine specimens of "bottle-tree" were growing. On the following morning I set out with Mr. Bell and Mr. E.A. Gaden to examine these trees. After passing over some of the fine sheep pastures on the station, we came upon a sandy soil, in which eucalypti and other gigantic myrtles flourished, as well as all kinds of acacias – the Brigalow, wattle, and bastard Myall – here accompanied by a character of Australian vegetation indicating a poor soil. It was among these that we observed the peculiar trees termed, from the singularity of their form, bottle-trees…"

Original wood engraving c1880. This engraving is the lower half page (separated) from an early English periodical, with printing on the reverse – which we are lucky, includes a full description of the subject of the engraving.

The actual engraving measures 15 x 23.5cm (approximately 6 x 9 1/4 inches) – on paper size 18.5 x 27cm (7 /4 x 10 5/8 inches). This engraving is on fine paper and has a slight crease (which fortunately aligns with the engraving so is barely noticeable. This engraving is mounted between antique-white ragmat and covered with cellophane for presentation and protection until framed.

Out of stock