professional photographer and businessman, was born in Middlesex, England 12 June 1838 and died St Kilda 1912. According to descendants Robert Stewart originally trained as an architect in which field he anticipated working on immigration to Sydney circa 1858, but decided photography was more promising. He sent for his camera in England suggesting he was an amateur photographer. Stewart first worked in partnership with Charles Pickering in George Street, Sydney, from about 1859 to 1861. He had his own studio at 267 Pitt Street from May 1862 when he advertised that 'Superior Collodiotype Portraits, artistically coloured and enamelled in elegant morocco cases from 3s.6d’ were available at his new photographic rooms. He was willing to photograph children between 9am. and 2pm. and offered to copy portraits. Three cartes-de-visite for 10s and ambrotype portraits in a case from 2s 6d were advertised in March and July 1863.
In 1867-68 Robert Stewart was at 396 George Street. In April 1868 he advertised that he had four views of Clontarf for a shilling each, souvenirs of the site of the recent assassination attempt on the Duke of Edinburgh. Two were cartes-de-visites and two were 6 × 4 inch (15 × 10 cm) cabinet photographs. 'They are clear and distinct in size, especially the smaller ones. The belt of trees near the water’s edge under which so many people were congregated on the eventful day … appears in three of these views: in the other, the hilly background’. That month Stewart was offering a Dallmeyer carte-de-visite lens for sale 'cheap’ and the sale of photographic equipment became a major part of his business.
Although removing to 'larger and more suitable portrait rooms’ at 348 George Street in July 1868, Robert Stewart soon transferred his business to Melbourne. He was listed at 83 Russell Street in the Melbourne Directory for 1870 and 1871. He established Stewart& Co in 1871 and seems to have made Andrew Barrie manager by the early 1880s and to have sold out to the latter by 1886 to follow business interests.
According to Cato, Robert 'conducted a small business in the city as a photographic dealer’ while his brother Richard set up the enormously successful firm of Stewart & Co. in Bourke Street a few years later. If there were two brothers Robert soon disappeared, but Richard’s firm expanded from two employees in 1871 (when owned by William Roberts ) to 50 employees, four studios and six operators by 1887. Cato’s account is incorrect Robert Stewart did not disappear nor did he have a brother Richard. He had an older brother Arthur Whitehead born 1831 who became a photographer and a younger William Salter Stewart born 1842. It is believed by descendants that Robert Stewart worked with his older brother in Australia.The young Tom Roberts was a studio assistant at Stewart & Co’s Bourke Street studio in 1877-1881 then part-time from 1885-1889. Stewart is said by Jack Cato to have given Roberts a cheque on his departure for London in 1881. He was Robert Stewart was kindly remembered by Roberts as a supporter and known to have purchased an early painting by the artist.
Robert Stewart died in St Kilda 18 July 1912.
