Captain George W.R. Bourne was a distinguished topographical artist and ship portrait painter, active in the busy colonial ports of South Australia and Western Australia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in England, Bourne arrived in Fremantle in 1876, initially working as a labourer before gradually establishing himself as an itinerant artist. In 1886, he applied for an immigrant grant of 50 acres in the Avon district, reflecting his interest in farming alongside his artistic pursuits.

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During the 1880s, Bourne moved to Adelaide but frequently travelled back and forth to Western Australia, balancing his dual roles as a marine artist and farmer. His work focused on sailing ships, steamships, lighthouses and bustling port scenes along the intercolonial shipping routes. Preferring watercolour for its quick-drying properties, he produced finely detailed paintings that captured both the technical accuracy of the vessels and the atmosphere of the harbours they frequented.

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Bourne’s paintings are emblematic of professional ship portraitists of his era, who created portable mementos for sailors, their families and shipowners. At a time when sea travel was a vital part of life in Australia, voyages bringing immigrants or connecting families across oceans were considered momentous events. Bourne’s works, often sentimental and narrative in style, reflected the Victorian and Edwardian desire to commemorate these experiences, positioning maritime artists as vital intermediaries between ships and the communities they served.

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Active in South Australia during the 1880s and in Western Australia between 1897 and 1902, Bourne travelled extensively along nearly every major coastal route. His paintings convey the growth of mercantile life and the increasing activity in southwestern colonial ports during a period of rapid economic and population expansion. Even as photography became more common, Bourne’s detailed and delicate works retained strong appeal for their artistry and narrative quality, providing audiences with a tangible connection to contemporary maritime life.

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Beyond their aesthetic appeal, Bourne’s watercolours document key aspects of 19th-century Australian life, including European settlement, the significance of sea-borne trade and the ongoing exploration and mapping of the coastline. Small and unassuming, his paintings nonetheless offer rich insights into colonial society, capturing the daily rhythm of port life, the intricacies of ship design and the dynamic interplay between human endeavour and the natural environment. Today, Bourne’s works remain valuable historical records, celebrated both for their artistic skill and for the stories they tell about Australia’s maritime heritage.