John J Martyr | The New Tirranna Cottage c1875
The New Tirranna Cottage c1875
Ink on paper
21.3 x 31 cm
Titled in ink under the drawing
’The New Cottage Tirranna’
This drawing depicts ‘The New Cottage At Tirranna’. The property was conceived by an c1857 resizing of Bland Station. The original Homestead on the property was built in the 1840s on low lying flood prone land.
Flooding plagued the property and the renovations it went through until 1870, when Mrs Andrew Gibson built a cottage on the Hill.
This is likely the house depicted in Martyr’s drawing of the ‘New Cottage’. It also fits the date (mid 1870s) that he would have been doing ink drawings for the Art Union in Goulburn.
As it is titled specifically, it would be reasonable to think that this drawing was a commission from the Gibson family.
$3300 the pair
Tirranna Cottage and Caragabal Station
John (James) Martyr b 1819?- Died Goulburn 1882)
Land surveyor, explorer, draftsman, painter of landscapes and animals.
In the 1850s Martyr was on gold reconnaissance missions. In the 1860 he seems to be a valued member of the Goulburn council community. Drawing and painting seemed to be a hobby, or by product of his job as a surveyor.
In 1876 he has facilitated an art Union in the gallery of Mr Gregory a Goulburn based photographer and portrait painter.
The subscription based union, offered each purchaser of a ticket a well excuted ink drawing by Martyr, depicting local landscape scenes.
The total offering was 30 tickets at 1 gns each. (30 drawings)
