The offering was a substantial 90 by 70 cm bust length early 19th century portrait in oils of Admiral Sir James Stirling, the first Governor of the colony, in uniform. Estimated at £1000 to £2000 it sold for £35,000 plus buyers premium helped by its solid provenance. It came down from the Stirling family to the latest unstated vendor.
Its offering should have been no secret to the many potential buyers in Australia as it clearly related to another well published portrait of the admiral in the Mitchell Library, acquired in 1928. The Nottingham sale cataloguer said the Mitchell's three quarter length portrait of Stirling attributed to Sir William Beechey or Thomas Phillips in the library and the auction house's smaller portrait were presumably executed in the same studio between 1833 and June 1834.
Stirling was then in England to receive his knighthood and be presented with the Stirling silver cup near which he stands in the Mitchell portrait. The cup was presented by the ”friends and relatives of the Swan River settlement” and is in the West Australian Museum. The same museum owns the Xantho salver which was withdrawn by Bonhams in Chester 18 months ago when it was threatened with melt down by Britain's archaic antique silver laws because it had added later feet.
Such silver is not considered Sterling, the standard for purity of silver, and cannot be sold publically in the UK.
The inclusion of the portrait in the Nottingham sale would almost certainly have been known by Australia's East Coast book trade which has usually dominated Australia's colonial portrait market in the past, and to other buyers through the British trade press.
That is why under bidder, Mr John Barkes, with links to the Australian colonial picture trade, did not persevere after the bidding had reached £30,000 and take it to £38,000.
But it appeared to be news to the West Australian Museum, preoccupied with new building plans, when asked about it by the Australian Art Sales Digest's Terry Ingram on Friday.
The museum had a special interest in rescuing the Xantho platter from melt down because it has the much vaunted wreck of the Xantho, a ship with a colourful history, as part of its Maritime Museum branches' holding.
The Museum acquired the platter/salver by private treaty for an undisclosed sum after it had been withdrawn from auction.
The Xantho also had a special part in Australia's Aboriginal past whereas the then Captain Stirling had a sometime ignominious role in that same past. He lead a one-sided reprisal for a murder, that between bullets and spears became known as the 'Battle of Pinjarra'. Fourteen Aborigines and one police superintendent were killed.
Stirling was born into a privileged Scottish family in Lanarkshire in 1791 who benefitted from nepotism, obtaining a footing in the Navy through his uncle, Rear Admiral Charles Stirling. He would not be popular with Americana collectors who often compete with Australians for heritage of joint interest because on his first command on the sloop Moselle, and soon after the larger sloop Brazen, he harassed forts and shipping during the Anglo-American war.
Stirling was lampooned in the British press and at times strongly criticised for his inept administration and domineering attitude towards his civil officers. He was a blunderer and not much fun. But he tried hard and was well served by his wis wife who managed to remain dignified and charming through numerous pregnancies.
Stirling resigned in October 1837, amid badly strained relations with leading settlers and troubled Aboriginal relationships. Two years later the settlers had developed little more than a very primitive rural economy that had exported a few hundred bales of wool and whale oil. He nevertheless continued to speak in support of the Swan River Colony.
He crowned his career in 1851 with his commission as a Rear-Admiral, and the next year served at the Admiralty.
By then West Australia was beginning to look like a big mistake as the British government began arranging the transport of thousands of convicts to save the state from bankruptcy and stagnation.
The most conspicuous piece of Stirling memorabilia is a piece of sterling silver made by Thomas Habgood of Hatton Garden, London, between 1832 and 1833. It is inscribed:
‘Presented to Capt. Sir James Stirling, first Governor of the Colony of Western Australia, by the friends and relatives of the settlers at Swan River in testimony of their admiration of the wisdom of the decisions and kindness uniformly displayed by him and of their gratitude for his strenuous exertions with the Colonial Department for the benefit of that settlement.
London, May 1833.’
In 1925 the cup was given to the people of Western Australia by two grandchildren of Sir James Stirling, and presented to the Premier, Philip Collier, during a visit to England.
Regardless of his chequered reputation - he was a man of his times - he paved the way for prosperity to come so it is to be hoped that the relic made its way back to WA through the many tycoons that are currently prospering from it.
The portrait when its authorship is fully settled is a serious piece of painting. Beechey was painter to Queen Charlotte and Phillips also painted Sir Joseph Banks.
