#MC32
1899
Watercolour on paper, ca. 17,5x24,5 cm (7 x 9 ½ in). Captioned in ink on the lower margin. Recently matted. Minor traces of an old mount on the corners on verso, overall a near fine watercolour.
Interesting early watercolour view of the Royal National Park in New South Wales, Australia, 29 km south of Sydney. This was the world's second oldest purposed national park (after Yellowstone in the United States), and the first to use the term "national park". The watercolour was taken from a small railway station which was opened in the National park in 1886 originally for the transportation of the New South Wales infantry, but eventually became a popular tourist route. In 1899 a short section of the line was duplicated to service the multiple trains that travelled there on weekends. The Royal Park National branch of the Sydney commuter railway network existed until 1991; now it is a tram line operated by the Sydney Tramway Museum.
