Plate 34 of Angas' South Australia illustrated entitled 'The Devil's Punch Bowl, near Mount Schank'. Part of the text accompanying the illustration reads;

One of the most remarkable of the volcanic wells occurring in the neighbourhood of Mount Schanck and Mount Gambier, is that designated as the "Devil's Punch Bowl". This singular phenomenon was discovered by Mr Burr ... in May 1844. The accompanying sketch was taken immediately upopn the discovery of the spot ... Towards the afternoon, a vast circular cavity was discovered in the coral limestone, about 260 yards in circumference; its perpendicular side perforated with holes; and at the bottom, about fifty feet below the surface, was a lake of pure fresh water, that looked black from its extreme depth. Attempts were made to fathom it by fastening "tether" ropes together, but at 130 feet no bottom was obtained close to its precipitous margin.

This is one of 60 coloured lithographs found in the 1847 edition of South Australia illustrated by colonial artist George French Angas, together with a descriptive passage for each. The lithograph was created by J.W. Giles from Angas' original painting. The date assigned is assumed to be approximately when the lithographs were created; the original paintings were done in earlier years.

George French Angas (1822-1886), naturalist and painter, was born on 25 April 1822 at Newcastle upon Tyne, England, fourth child and eldest son of George Fife Angas and his wife Rosetta, née French. He sailed for Australia in 1843 in the Augustus, reached Adelaide in January 1844, and joined Grey on his expedition and his paintings, published several years later in South Australia illustrated and form a valuable record of the South Australian landscape before it was much changed by white settlement.

Angas remained in South Australia until July when he left for New Zealand. He returned to South Australia in January 1845 and remained for six months. During these visits to South Australia Angas went with William Giles to the area in the vicinity of the mouth of the River Murray, and with Governor (Sir) George Grey to the south-east of the province, Kangaroo Island and Port Lincoln. These journeys Angas recorded in water-colour drawings which were shown in Adelaide in June 1845 in the Legislative Council chamber.

Grey, Sir George, 1812-1898

Angas, George French, 1822-1886

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PictureAustralia

Mount Gambier Wikipedia