A Desk for Mr Frankland - 2004

blackwood, celerytop pine, hoop pine plywood, brass fittings

740h 1400w 700d

George Frankland was appointed in 1826 to the position of assistant surveyor in Van Dieman’s Land.  Frankland requested he be given the duties of accurately mapping the colony, as much of the country was still unknown. His request was declined.

He took up his duties in 1827, and 2 years later was appointed Surveyor General. Whilst most of his time was then spent in the office, he was still interested in the need to explore the colony and produce a complete map. He sent his staff on several expeditions, and in 1835 he led his own to solve the problem of “the situation of the source of the Derwent”

I made this folding desk for Mr. Frankland to be both practical and useful. With a drawer for each corner of the island, I imagined him using it to store snippets of information as it arrived back in the office, but also practicable enough to be taken with him on any travels he undertook.

I like to think he may have taken it with him in 1835 and used it at his “encampment on the little bay, which was named Cynthia’s Cove”, after the goddess of the moon, and of hunters.