The photograph collection of the State Library of South Australia has an album by Caroline Louisa Turton, daughter of Sir Dominick Daly, labelled “Photograph album relating to the visit of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Naval officers to South Australia in 1867, and the visit of H.M.S. ‘Falcon’ in April 1865”. There is a carte de visite of Rowland Mainwaring (1782-1862), my fourth great grandfather, and two photographs of his third wife Laura nee Chevillard (1812-1891).
Rowland and Laura’s son Guy Mainwaring, my third great grand uncle, was a lieutenant on HMS Galatea, a steam-powered wooden frigate, on a world cruise from 1866 under the command of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, second son of Queen Victoria. The Galatea arrived at Adelaide on 31 October 1867, commencing a royal tour of Australia, which included visit to Melbourne, Tasmania, Sydney, and Brisbane.
The Governor of South Australia at the time was Sir Dominick Daly. His daughter Caroline Louisa (Daly) Turton (1832 – 1893) had married Henry Hobhouse Turton in 1866.
There were many events held in Adelaide as part of Galatea‘s visit. For example, on 1 November 1867 there was a dinner party followed by dancing. The Turtons and Guy Mainwaring were present.
The State Library identifies one of the portraits as that of Admiral Mainwaring and another of Mrs Mainwaring (taken in Bristol, England). Another portrait, that of an “Unnamed lady”, appears to be of Laura, taken at the same time as the portrait of the Admiral, with the same background.
The first and third photographs are similar to a pair of painted portraits at Whitmore Hall.
The two photographs seem to have been used by the portrait artist.
Rowland Mainwaring was also the father of Gordon Mainwaring, my third great grandfather, who lived for many years in South Australia. Gordon, with most of his family, left South Australia for England in 1866, before the visit of the Galatea. Gordon’s daughter Ellen had married Wentworth Cavenagh and stayed in South Australia until 1892. Wentworth Cavenagh attended a banquet on 9 November 1867. Officers of the Galatea were present and so Wentworth Cavenagh would probably have met, Guy Mainwaring, his wife’s uncle on this occasion.
I was surprised and delighted to find the portraits of Rowland and Laura Mainwaring in the collection of the State Library. It is a long way from their home at Whitmore Hall.
Related posts and references
- State Library of South Australia: Photograph album relating to the visit of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Naval officers to South Australia in 1867, and the visit of H.M.S. ‘Falcon’ in April 1865 https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1513/3/1-51
- Admiral Mainwaring https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1513/3/32
- Mrs Mainwaring (taken in Bristol, England) https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1513/3/33
- Unnamed lady https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1513/3/33A
- THE REJOICINGS IN HONOUR OF THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH. (1867, November 2). South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 – 1900), p. 2. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39179188
- VISIT OF H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH. (1867, November 16). South Australian Weekly Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1858 – 1867), p. 6. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91265204
Wikitree:
- Caroline Louisa (Daly) Turton (1832 – 1893), daughter of the Governor
- Sir Dominick Daly, Governor of South Australia: Dominick Justin Daly (1798 – 1868)
- Guy Mainwaring (1847 – 1909), lieutenant on the Galatea
- Rowland Mainwaring (1782 – 1862), Admiral Mainwaring, father of Guy Mainwaring
- Laura Maria Julia Walburga (Chevillard) Mainwaring (abt. 1812 – 1891), Mrs Mainwaring, 3rd wife of the Admiral and mother of Guy Mainwaring