Peter Power

Watson Boyes and Peter Power, The World's News, 18 January 1919.

Background

Peter Power was likely born on 01 May 1830, in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom to Irish parents Peter Power (snr) and Ann Sexton. Peter Power (Jnr) arrived in Melbourne, Australia via the ship Albatross on 07 April 1853 with “hatter” his occupation. Marriage certificate records indicate that he married Jane Amers at Scots Church in Melbourne in 1862, with both listed as living in Ballarat at the time.

Several existing records indicate that Peter Power was a self-taught artist, however, an interview with Power for the Melbourne Herald in 1918 states that “he studied under Reed, an Academy painter of note.” The article also states that Power initially moved to Geelong in Victoria, before eventually following the Victorian gold rush (located Ballarat / Central Victoria). He states “He was with the miners at the Eureka Stockade rising, but, getting away safely, he went to New Zealand, before returning, married at Geelong (noting this should read Melbourne), and took his wife to New Zealand, where the family were reared.”

Goldfields Involvement, 1854

SHIPMATES MEET AGAIN.

There met recently in Melbourne the two" veteran colonists, Mr. Peter Power, aged 95, and Mr. W. Watson Boyes, aged 84.

They were shipmates on the maiden voyage of the Albatross, which left England in November, 1852, and they landed at Hobson's Bay in March, 1853, where no less than 70 ships rode at anchor, their officers and crews having deserted and made for the diggings. They parted, and al-though both were at Ballarat at the same time, they never met. The Eureka Stock-ade affair occurred whilst they were on the diggings, and they also saw the cele brated Welcome Nugget carried by four miners to their camp on a stretcher.

Both artists, these veterans spent some years in Tasmania sketching, but, strange to say, never met there. Mr. Power was in New Zealand for 36 years as an artist, where he married, and brought up six sons. One of them, Mr. Herbert Power, R.A., is now in London, where his war pictures are particularly famous.

Mr. Boyes was himself 25 years In New Zealand, yet never dropped across Mr. Power there. Mr. Boyes' career has been romantically adventurous. He has been in turn sailor, trooper, explorer, drover, bullock-driver, horse-breeder, and horse trainer. He claims to have founded St. Laurence, Broadsound, and Townsville, and was father of the first child born in the lastnamed. He is now poet cartoonist and song writer, and one of his latest, "Vive la Prance," was accepted by General Pau, from whom he has a letter.

Still active and alert, Mr. Boyes' four score years and four do not prevent his taking a cold bath every morning. summer and winter alike, and he now contemplates a world-lecture tour on "Longevity, and.' How to Attain It.

A DISTINGUISHED ARTIST

MR. H. SEPTIMUS POWER IN BALLARAT.

Ballarat art lovers will be interested to know that Mr H. Septimus Power, the famous Australian artist, and one of the recognised great animal pointers of the world, is in Ballarat on a holiday. In his moments of relaxation, Mr Power toys with the cornet, and, being interested in band music, has come to this city to hear the best that Australia can produce. There are some links between the great artist and this city. His father, Mr Peter Power, was a Eureka Stockader, and later a member of the Ballarat Fire Brigade. Mr Power, senr., who painted a bit himself, and seems to have transmitted his love for art to his son, died a year or two ago at the advanced age of 92. ...

Family

Power and wife Jane were the parents of one daughter and seven sons, including the highly successful artist Harold Septimus Power (1877-1951).

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