Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts facts for kids

The Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts is a special library and museum in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is managed by Libraries Tasmania and is located inside the State Library of Tasmania building. This museum holds one of the largest collections about Tasmanian life from before and during the colonial period. It also has many rare British and European items like porcelain, furniture, and books. The museum opened in 1972, and it is free for everyone to visit.

History of the Allport Collection

The Allport family moved to Tasmania in 1831. They were a respected family of lawyers from Britain. Their family home, Cedar Court, in Aldridge, England, is now a historic building. Joseph Allport was the youngest son of William Allport. Joseph's mother, Hannah Curzon, ran a school from their home. A famous artist named John Glover taught drawing at this school. In 1831, Joseph Allport moved to Tasmania and settled in a place called Broadmarsh, Tasmania.

The last male member of the family, Henry Allport, passed away in 1965. He left his family home in Sandy Bay, along with his huge personal collections and those of his family. He also left money to help the collection grow and to create a library. In 1972, the collection was moved to a special storage area inside the State Library of Tasmania's tall building. This area keeps the items safe by controlling the temperature and humidity. The museum officially opened on October 27, 1972. Lady Alexandra Hasluck, whose husband was the Governor-General, opened it.

How the Museum is Managed

The Allport Library is looked after by Libraries Tasmania. A special committee helps manage it. This committee includes two people chosen by Henry Allport's will. It also has a person from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. An expert in rare art and books, chosen by the Minister, is also on the committee. Finally, there is a representative from the Department of Education Tasmania. The museum follows rules set by the Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts Agreement Act of 1966.

What You Can See in the Collection

The Allport Library has a very large and interesting collection. It includes many unique and important items. In total, there are about 2,000 photographs, 600 prints, and 70 oil paintings. There are also 1,700 watercolours and drawings. The collection has 400 pieces of China, 125 pieces of glassware, and 350 silver items. You can also see 200 pieces of furniture from the colonial period. Plus, there are about 6,000 books and other printed materials.

Some of the special items include:

• A painting of John Glover by Mary Allport.
• Some of the very first photographs ever taken in Tasmania.
• A collection of photos by John Watt Beattie.
• Sketches by Thomas Bock.
• Most famously, William Buelow Gould's Sketchbook of fishes. This sketchbook is so important that UNESCO recognizes it as a document of world significance.

The museum also has many paintings and sketches by John Glover. You can also see original watercolours by other famous artists. These include Richard Parkes Bonington, John Sell Cotman, Peter De Wint, David Roberts, J. M. W. Turner, and John Varley.

Henry Allport's wife, Claudine, collected beautiful British porcelain. Her collection is also part of the Allport Library. It includes a special Chelsea 'Goat and Bee' jug, which might be one of the earliest examples of English porcelain from 1745. There are also four plates from the Nantgarw China Works.

The collection has many rare books, especially those about the history of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. One example is Louis de Freycinet's Voyage autour du monde (Voyage Around the World). There are also many old papers, pamphlets, and records from historic Tasmanian groups, like the Bank of Van Diemen's Land.

In 2014, the Library received Margaret Hope's collection of Tasmanian wildflower watercolours.

Most of the library's collection is kept in dark storage rooms on the upper floors of the State Library building. However, a part of the collection is on display. It looks like a recreation of rooms from the Allport family home. These rooms are decorated with furniture from the 16th to 19th centuries. They also show art made by family members or other artists from their time. There is also a changing art gallery next to this display. It shows both modern and old art. Some past exhibitions have explored the life of Jørgen Jørgensen and the history of Tasmanian cooking.

See also

• Gallery of former exhibition at the Allport Library