“Sketching with Stuart” was released on February 8th, 2018, at the Adelaide Town Hall. His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, Governor of South Australia, and The Right Honourable Lord Mayor Martin Haese, jointly launched the book at a cocktail party hosted by the Lord Mayor.

Front cover of the paperback edition

These charming, simple and accurate representations of John McDouall Stuart’s Great Northern Exploring Expedition of 1861-62 are now being published because they are historically significant as the first European images of the nature of country between Adelaide and Australia’s north coast.

Local historian and author Rob Linn has written a superb text to accompany King’s sketches and has captured the essence of their genesis. He has also provided interesting backgrounds of the Companions who traveled with Stuart.

Valmai Hankel is a lifelong Stuart devotee. She has done a wonderful job of setting the scene and demonstrating the significance and relevance of not only Stuart’s expeditions but of King’s sketches and their provenance.

The book is published by the Friends of the State Library of SA, First Floor, Institute Building, Corner North Terrace and Kintore Avenue, Adelaide. PO Box 419, Adelaide SA 5001. Phone 08 8207 7255. Fax 08 8207 7207. Email: friends@slsa.sa.gov.au

A limited number of copies are available from the John McDouall Stuart Society. Please email or ring for more details.