professional photographer and printer, was working as a printer in the Age newspaper office at Melbourne in 1858 when he showed 'specimens of electrotype for letter press printing’ at the Victorian Industrial Society’s exhibition. An engraved view of a recent cricket match between Sydney and Melbourne by 'Robinson’ was also exhibited, presumably by the same artist. Two years later he advertised as a photographer and showed four photographs of Melbourne at the Victorian Exhibition of Fine Arts: Studley Park Bridge , St Patrick’s Cathedral , Melbourne from the Parliament Houses and Parliament Houses from the East . At the 1866 Melbourne Intercolonial Exhibition he showed eight photographic views of Melbourne taken from the Post Office tower, photographic copies of engravings, and specimens of photolithography. The view photographs were subsequently shown in the Victorian court at the 1867 Paris Universal Exhibition.
Robinson moved to Sydney in 1867 and worked there until about 1882. Between 1867 and 1871 he managed the Premier Photographic Company which specialised in stereoscopic photographs, including views of Sydney Harbour. Robinson himself attended to the landscape and architectural photography side of the business, announcing in 1868 that 'having let the Portrait Branch of his business, [he] will from this date devote his attention solely to Landscape Photography and copying of Works of Art’. In other issues of the Herald he advertised: 'to architects and others – Buildings artistically photographed at very low rates’ and 'Artistic photographs of residences taken at moderate charges’.
Having photographed landscapes for the Duke of Edinburgh on his 1867-68 visit to the Australian colonies, Robinson received a royal warrant at the end of 1868 and henceforth advertised as 'landscape photographer to his Royal Highness, Duke of Edinburgh’. Reporting this honour, the Sydney Morning Herald added: 'among the recent pictures by Mr Robinson is a fine photograph of St Andrew’s Cathedral, taken from a point near the temporary wooden building, showing to great advantage the ecclesiastical edifice consecrated on St Andrew’s Day’. Various photographs by Robinson were sent to Sydney’s 1870 Intercolonial Exhibition from his George Street studio. In 1872 he published Sydney Harbour: A Descriptive Poem illustrated with seven photographs, including Government House from the Domain and Garden Island . He exhibited with the New South Wales Academy of Art in the 1870s, including a 'photograph of an oil painting’ in 1873 and a panorama of Sydney Harbour in 1878. From 1872 to 1875 his studio was at 6 Wynyard Square East, then at Sarah Street, Paddington, in 1883-84.
- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1992
- Last updated:
- 2011
