Recent gift to the State Library - Frank G​. Hankey, Panorama of the Port River & North Parade, Port Adelaide, 1855

"Government House SA" Artwork

​The Friends have recently bought a painting, titled Government House, S.A. to give to the State Library. It's a freshly discovered watercolour by South Australian artist, Martha Berkeley (1813 - 1889). The rare watercolour of South Australia's first Government House (lot 26) dates back to 1837. It has been tucked away among papers and other belongings in the private collection of a leading Adelaide artist. Martha Berkeley and her sister Theresa Walker (1807–1876) were South Australia's first female professional artists. They arrived in February 1837 aboard the John Renwick, so it is almost certain that this painting was done within six months of Proclamation and thus provides an extremely valuable early record of the Adelaide landscape. The work was part of a collection of art and archival papers given to artist Penny Dowie by her sculptor uncle, John Dowie, which were destined for the rubbish bin before she contacted Mr Elder. The date of the work, so soon after the State's procalamation, makes it particularly significant. Along with the first Government House, it also depicts settler tents among the trees, a colonist by a riverside campfire, and the local Kaurna people.-Elder Fine Art catalogue 8 September, 2024
Since 1932 the Friends have presented the State Library of South Australia with over 750 gifts for its special collections.  Many of these add significant value to the Library's records of South Australia's exploration and settlement. Others illuminate excellence in manuscripts, early and modern printed books, and children's books and games.

State Library staff suggest to us possible items for purchase and then we usually approve these suggestions before the staff proceed. The items are secured through national and international networks of specialists.

.... While the principal goal of our association is to support the State Library, that goal is reached by means which give pleasure, interest and sometimes even excitement to us as members.  We not only present beautiful books to the Library, we also publish them.  We not only read books, we have gone on literary pilgrimages to discover more about their authors.  Alan Brissenden
To guide decision making, the Friends follow a principle set by the Friends of the Bodleian Library of Oxford University in 1925, not long before we were established in 1932. Like our UK colleagues, we acquire ’manuscripts and other unique pieces [including] books of exceptional rarity or beauty or interest‘ which would never be acquired as part of the the State Library’s normal operations.

Our gifts to the State Library between 1933 and 1992 are detailed in the
Friends' 1993 book, A Richness of Gifts, which you can buy from the
Friends' office.
The State Library of South Australia has received over 750 gifts from the Friends for their special collections
Interesting reading about the Friends' Gifts:
André, R. (2002). Friends-funded artworks. Bibliofile, 10(4), 2-7.
Hankel, V. (2007). Treasure trove: A personal glance. Bibliofile, 12(1), 3-10.
Leschen, T. (2011). Acquiring the Friends' gifts. Bibliofile, 13(1), 20-22.



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