The full collection of Samuel Elyard’s work is currently on display at the Nowra Museum.
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The exhibition was officially opened recently and the life of the well-known artist is being remembered.
Samuel Elyard was the first significant artist and photographer to work in the Shoalhaven .
His watercolours depict the district’s most significant events such as the 1870s Great Flood, the construction on the first bridge over the Shoalhaven River and historic Nowra buildings.
Born on May 9, 1817 on the Isle of Wright, Samuel was the youngest of five. At age four, he emigrated with his family to Australia.
Samuel’s father worked their passage as surgeon superintendent on the convict vessel John Bull.
Elyard attended the Australian College where he studied Miniature and Oil Painting under JB East.
Elyard’s watercolour portraits attracted some attention and brought several commissions to the school boy. He became acquainted with landscape painter Conrad Martens and his style became Elyard’s favoured style.
In 1937, at the age of 20, Elyard abandoned all plans to become a full-time artist. He became a clerk in the Colonial Secretary’s Office. In 1849 he married Angelina Hallett (nee Scott) but later repudiated the marriage on the ground of insanity. He accused her of blackmail. They had no children.
After 31 years in the public service and ill health, Elyard retired with a small pension and moved to the Nowra district where his family had land at Brundee. He rented a small farm in the area and filled his time around the district painting mainly landscapes.
He was a strong supporter of the Nowra Show and was presented with the Shoalhaven Agricultural Society’s medal in recognition of his support of the years.
He also became involved with the Church of England at Nowra, serving as the preacher.
At the age of 75 he became interested in photography and was well-known around town during the 1890s as ‘the old man in the frock coat, pulling a trolley full of photographic equipment’.
When Elyard died at his Nowra home ‘Merindah’ in Osborne Street on October 23 1910 at the age of 93, the Telegraph stated he was ‘an artist of considerable ability’.
It would be some time later before the true value of his work of art would be recognised. The Shoalhaven City Council holds more than 120 of his paintings in its collection and his work is also held in major Sydney galleries. The Dixson gallery of the NSW Library collection includes some of his earlier work from the 1950s and 60s that illustrate the metropolitan area.
The Nowra Museum will have their Elyard exhibition on display until the end of June.