George Raper

George Raper (September 19, 1769 in London, England – 1797) was a naval officer and illustrator.

Career

Raper was born to Henry and Catherine Raper in London. In August 1783 he joined the Royal Navy as a captain's servant. In December 1786 Raper became a member of the First Fleet, the ships which transported convicts from England to New South Wales in Australia. During that journey under Commodore Arthur Phillip and Captain John Hunter he became a midshipman on HMS "Sirius". The vessel arrived in Botany Bay in January 1788. In March 1790 the Sirius was wrecked on Norfolk Island. Raper stayed almost one year on that island until he returned to Sydney with HMS "Supply".

Back in England he faced a court martial because of the ship loss. He and the other officers were proved to be innocent of a dishonourable misconduct. In June 1793 he was promoted to lieutenant. In 1796 he took his last command on a cutter named HMS "Expedition". He died in 1797 while in the West Indies, of unknown causes. He was only 27.

Paintings

On his travels from 1787 to 1792 George Raper drew extraordinary watercolour paintings of birds, flowers and landscapes. Many of this drawings are showing species which are extinct today, like the Lord Howe Swamphen or the White Throated Pigeon from Lord Howe Island. He sketched also profiles of landscapes and topographical maps. These pictures can be seen in the First Fleet Artwork Collection in the Natural History Museum in London and in the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, New Zealand.

In 2004, 56 long-lost watercolours were found at the estate of the Earl of Ducie, England. The National Library of Australia has bought this collection for an undisclosed sum from the Moreton family in England.

Gallery

External links

* [http://www.nla.gov.au/exhibitions/georgeraper/biography/biog-f.html George Raper biography]
* [http://www.nla.gov.au/exhibitions/georgeraper/ The George Raper Collection] On line exhibition.
* [http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/nature-online/first-fleet/nathist.dsml?sa=1&disp=list First Fleet Artwork Collection]
* [http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/online-ex/art-themes/drawingconclusions/more/pigeon_more_info.htm George Raper Drawings Collection Natural History Museum London]
* [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020317b.htm?hilite=George%3BRaper Australian Dictionary of Biography]
* [http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3579699 Watercolours attributed to George Raper. Ducie Collection of First Fleet art at Pictures Branch, National Library of Australia, Canberra]