Eugene von Guérard

Eugene von Guérard
born Austria 1811; arrived Australia 1852; died United Kingdom 1901

The Weatherboard Falls 1863
oil on canvas
Geelong Gallery
Gift of Alfred Felton, 1900

In November 1859, Eugene von Guérard travelled to New South Wales’ Illawarra region and then inland to the Blue Mountains where he sketched the Weatherboard Falls (now known as Wentworth Falls).

He painted the location twice: a larger version in 1862 was purchased that year by Frederick G Dalgety (who at that time, also owned View of Geelong).

This smaller version, was first owned by Robert Hoddle, who surveyed routes over the Blue Mountains in 1823, before working in Melbourne in 1837 and Geelong the following year. In 1900, The Weatherboard Falls was one of two works gifted to the newly-established Geelong Art Gallery by Alfred Felton, whose name is now synonymous with the major bequest made in 1904 to the National Gallery of Victoria.