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A fine marine ivory and mother of pearl model of the ship…
Sale Title:
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Hobart
Date:
15-Apr-2012
Lot No.
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Description:
A fine marine ivory and mother of pearl model of the ship Castel Fidardo gifted to Sir William Morgan, KCMG Premier S.A.1878-1881 31 cm high, 36 cm wide. Provenance: Sir William Morgan Kcmg Premier S.A.1878-1881 and thence by descent. It was about the time of his election to the Legislative Assembly in 1867, that William met the man who was to be his nemesis, Queenslander John Higginson, through whom he formed his connection with New Caledonia with the supply of flour to the French penal colony. It seems likely that Morgan first sailed for Noumea to follow up on the flour contract, seduced by Higginson's enthusiasm for this unknown land. Once there, the Hon. William Morgan was treated as a person of some importance by the Governor and his allotted assignes1 - valet, cook and general factotum. Their stories have been passed down to the present vendor by his grandfather Ranembe Morgan: the valet who shaved William each morning had cut the throat of his wife and her lover in the act, killed the man, cut out his heart, cooked it and made the wife eat it. Concerning the factotum, his story had been forgotten. Although the South Australian parliament was sitting off and on throughout the year, Morgan went to New Caledonia almost every year until his death and some of these visits would have been quite lengthy. It would have taken some time to get there, several days to Sydney and then five or six to Noumea on the bi-monthly service on the Havilah set up by Higginson but, no doubt, each visit was like a holiday in an exotic clime far removed from the mundane problems of everyday life in Adelaide. He became obsessed with copper mining there and eventually lost his fortune, largely through the New Caledonian mining ventures and possibly a French bank smash, there is no doubt he returned there in 1882 after his resignation from office, when his valet whom William had helped gain his pardon, gave him this fine model ship made by him from mother-of-pearl and other seashell.1 Convicts released on good behaviour to work outside the penitentiary
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Toys & Models: Boats & Yachts