sketcher, was born at the Vineyard, Parramatta, New South Wales, on 7 December 1816, second of the six daughters of Hannibal Hawkins Macarthur and Anna Maria née King, and a sister of Charles, Emmeline and James Macarthur . Charlotte Waring ( Atkinson ) was briefly the children’s governess in 1827, but married soon after taking up this teaching position. She 'never lost her interest in us’, said Annie’s sister Emmeline long afterwards, so possibly continued to encourage the girls to sketch. Annie and her sisters then had 'an accomplished English lady’ as governess, according to Emmeline, although their mother is elsewhere said to have played the major role in the education of her eleven children.

In 1834 Annie inscribed a pencil view of Camden (ML) 'with very sincere and kind regards from Annie MacArthur, Sept. 29th 1834’, and the twelve other pencil drawings from the same small sketchbook – offered to the Mitchell Library in 1937 as the work of Charles Rodius – are now also attributed to her. A drawing of a waterfall whimsically titled A Shower Bath is signed with illegible initials, four other sketches form a group of detailed vignettes titled Blue Mountain Scenery , and the rest are very similar in style to the Camden view. The inscriptions on several have been identified as in Annie Macarthur’s hand. The drawings show an unusual interest in architectural subjects. As well as Camden (a view of the original farmhouse on her uncle John Macarthur’s rural property) there is a sketch of Annie’s own home, The Vineyard (demolished), and a view of Newington, Parramatta (then the grand mansion of the Blaxland family), as well as drawings of primitive settlers’ huts on the Hunter River.

On 27 October 1842, at Parramatta, Annie Macarthur married Captain John Clements Wickham RN , a former commander of the Beagle . The following January she accompanied him in the Shamrock to Moreton Bay where he had been appointed police magistrate to the new free settlement. Although she collected plants and corresponded with scientific colleagues while living at Newstead House, Brisbane, no artistic activity is known. The Wickhams had three children, two boys and a girl. Annie died in Sydney on 23 June 1852 following childbirth, just as her husband on board the Fatima (which had been delayed by bad weather) entered Sydney Harbour.

Writers:

Staff Writer

Date written:

1992

Last updated:

2011