Provenance note 

The documents in this series were previously located at ML A79-5. These papers, purchased in 1884 from Lord Brabourne by Sir Saul Samuel, the Agent-General for New South Wales, were transferred to the Mitchell Library in 1910. They were part of the accession which became known as the Brabourne collection. 

Background note 

William Westall was employed as the landscape artist on board HMS Investigator, under the command of Matthew Flinders. After the completion of the voyage, Westall elected to return to England, with Flinders, on board HMS Porpoise. The Porpoise was lost on Wreck Reef, off the Queensland coast, on 17 August 1803. Most of Westall's drawings and sketches survived the shipwreck, sustaining some water damage.