watercolourist, farmer and toll-gate keeper, was born on 28 February 1794. Migrating with his family from Plymouth, England, he arrived at South Australia on 26 December 1849 in the Harry Lorrequer ; the passenger list describes him as an agricultural labourer from Inverness, Scotland. Most of the family is believed to have immediately left for Victoria, where Taylor took up land in the Castlemaine district, built a home at Gowar (extant) and became toll-gate keeper on the Castlemaine-Maldon Road. In about 1853 his son-in-law Charles Talbot built Talbot’s Halfway House at Gowar, at first a general store but licensed as a hotel on 16 July 1864, which is the subject of a splendid naive watercolour by Taylor (CAG). Talbot’s licence was transferred to William Schofield on 20 November 1868 so, although undated, it can be assumed that the painting was done before then.
Taylor also appears to have been in Melbourne for a time. His only other known watercolour is Melbourne Hunt, Meeting at Spring Vale [sic] Dandenong , dated 1869. He died on 27 August 1876 and is buried in Muckleford Cemetery. His grave is close to the toll house (now the cemetery office) where he was once keeper.
- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1992
- Last updated:
- 2011
