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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Punch, wife of Cullabaa, Broken Bay tribe

1836
William Fernyhough

lithograph on paper (sheet: 26.7 cm x 18.9 cm)

The term ‘Broken Bay Tribe’ was used by European settlers to describe people from clans to the north of Port Jackson who spoke a common language, Kuringgai or Guringai. Kuringgai-speaking clans around the vicinity of Broken Bay and Pittwater included the Carigal, Erina, Narara,Terrigal and Wyong. In the decades after colonisation, as many Aboriginal people died of introduced diseases, some of these people joined other, Darug-speaking people from the south in camps around the growing settlement of Sydney. William Fernyhough (1809–1849), silhouette artist, lithographer and draughtsman, began working at JG Austin’s printing firm in 1836. His first production for Austin was a series titled Twelve Profile Portraits of the Aborigines of New South Wales, which included portraits of Punch, Cora Gooseberry and Cora’s husband, Bungaree – all from the north. The series was released as a set in 1836 and remained in print until the 1840s. It was suggested that it would make ‘a pretty present to friends in England as characteristic of this country’. The historian Richard Neville has observed that the silhouettes were not intended as caricatures; rather, these supposedly faithful likenesses would allow English buyers, in particular, to examine the portrayed individuals in the light of current phrenological and physiological theories.

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Dr Robert Edwards AO 1999
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

William Fernyhough (age 27 in 1836)

Punch

Donated by

Dr Robert (Bob) Edwards AO (13 portraits)

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency