professional photographer, optician and jeweller, came from Dublin to New South Wales apparently as a trained optician. He accompanied George Baron Goodman to Van Diemen’s Land in 1842-44 as photographic assistant. Purchasing a camera and photographic chemicals from Goodman, Flavelle opened his own daguerreotype portrait studio in St John Street, Launceston, after Goodman left the island, but this seems to have ceased operations a few weeks later when he ran out of chemicals and/or plates.

Flavelle returned to Sydney, arriving in the brig William on 17 May 1844. By 1846, in partnership with Samuel Brush, he was an optician at King Street, transferring to George Street about the middle of 1848. The partnership was dissolved in 1850 and Flavelle set up as Flavelle Brothers at George Street, the other half of the partnership being his elder brother Henry, who became the firm’s London supplier. John Flavelle was now primarily a jeweller, but he also worked as a watchmaker and general supplier, importing photographic apparatus, dental equipment and mathematical instruments, as well as with watches, jewellery and silver. Both imported and local stereoscopic views (with viewers) were sold in the shop, but Flavelle is not known to have continued to practise photography himself. Instead, the firm occasionally made its own plate, presentation silver and jewellery: a few locally-made pieces survive.

Flavelle retired from the business in 1891. He died in June 1899 at his home, Wellbank, in the Sydney suburb of Concord. Continued by his nephews Henry and William, the Flavelle jewellery firm survived (with various branches and name variations) until after the first World War.

Writers:

Staff Writer

Date written:

1992

Last updated:

2011