John Aitken

  • Artist (Draughtsman)
Colonial sketcher and clergyman who managed to produce an album of sketches while on a whirlwind 12 month world tour that took in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, New Zealand, South and North America.
Talk | Version history | Updated Oct. 19, 2011 | Created Jan. 1, 1992
Name
John Aitken
Gender
Unspecified
Roles
  • Artist (Draughtsman)
Residence
  • c.29 October 1885- Whittle-le-Woods, Liverpool, England, UK
  • c.October 1854- c.October 1855 North America
  • c.October 1854- c.October 1855 South America
  • c.October 1854- New Zealand
  • c.September 1854- c.October 1854 Wellington, NSW
  • c.September 1854- c.October 1854 Bathurst, NSW
  • c.September 1854- Sydney, NSW
  • c.August 1854- Bendigo, Vic.
  • c.August 1854- Ballarat, Vic.
  • c.August 1854- Melbourne, Vic.
  • c.July 1854- c.August 1854 Tasmania
  • c.July 1854- Adelaide, SA
Other Occupation
  • Clergyman
Arrival
  • July 1854 (Arrived Adelaide SA, aboard the Lorna.)
Active Period
  • c.1854- c.1855
Languages
  • English
Is Indigenous
No
Initial Record Data Source
  • The Dictionary of Australian Artists: painters, sketchers, photographers and engravers to 1870

sketcher and Anglican clergyman, came to Adelaide early in July 1854 aboard the Lorna on a preaching tour of the Australasian colonies. He left for Tasmania in the Lady Bird almost immediately. In early August he was at Melbourne, then travelled to the diggings. By 17 September he was in Sydney. He visited Bathurst and Wellington, then left in mid-October in the appropriately-named Meteor for New Zealand. After equally whirlwind tours of South and North America, he was back home before the end of 1855, preaching on 29 October at Whittle-le-Woods, Liverpool, England.

His album, Sketches taken by John Aitken on a Trip round the World 1854 55 , is held at the Mitchell Library. None of his Australian works is dated, but all carry descriptive titles. There are scenes on the Ballarat and Bendigo goldfields, landscapes, churches and residences. The album also contains 16 lithographs by S.T. Gill and two ink drawings by G. Lacy .

Writers:
Staff Writer
Date written:
1992
Last updated:
2011
associate of
George Lacy
1817
Artist (Draughtsman), Artist (Painter)
associate of
S. T. Gill
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
Collections
Citations:
  • Aitken, J., Sketches taken by John Aitken on a Trip round the World 1854-55, (Place: Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW, Sydney, album, PXD 254)
  • McCulloch, A., (1984), Encyclopedia of Australian Art, (Place: Second edition, Melbourne, Vic.)