- Port Jackson Painter]
- The drawing is inscribed in blue pencil at top right with the number "55", which refers to the pre-1984 numbering system for the Watling Collection.
- The drawing is annotated in brown ink at bottom "Two Native Boys of New south Wales - practicing throwing the Spears this they do with small twigs cut on purpose", and below at centre, "A View in Port Jackson - 1792".
- The drawing is unsigned but dated 1792.
- A contemporary account of Aboriginal children learning to throw spears through the kind of play represented in this drawing is given by Watkin Tench in his Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson, originally published in 1793. (ref. Flannery, Tim Ed). 1788: Watkin Tench. The Text Publishing Company, Melbourne, 1996, p.255-6.)
- The author of this catalogue record is Suzanne Stenning.
- By permission of the trustees of the Natural History Museum (London).
- Two sets of transparencies held in the Natural History Museum (London) Zoology Library and Picture Library: Picture Library order number 12046
- James Lee of Kensington : purchased ; 1902
- Data sheet available.
- Wheeler, A. and Smith, B, (eds.) The Art of the First Fleet and other early Australian Drawings. New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 1988. (Plate 24, p. 37.)
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![[Two Aboriginal boys in a harbour landscape, playing at fighting]](image.dsml?imageref=NHM-UK_L_a350482_046_M_1.jpg&width=300)