Sobraon – Berrys Bay Sydney Harbour (after her RAN commission)
This very serene landscape scene of Berrys Bay in Sydney Harbour shows Sobraon after her service in the RAN as HMAS Tingira.
- About John Charles Allcot
John was born on 14 November 1888 in England, and at the age of 14 John was apprenticed to lithographers, and attended classes at the Liverpool Institute and School of Art. In 1906 he worked in the Mersey tugboats and next year sailed as a deck-boy in the barque, Invermark. He loved painting and would scrounge ship's paint, sailcloth and handkerchiefs with which to depict the sea, ships and life on board.
Arriving in Sydney in the Miltiades in 1909, Allcot signed on with the old clipper, Antiope. He worked in coastal, island and intercolonial vessels out of Sydney before giving up the sea in 1912. He then supported himself by painting theatre sets and obtained commissions for ship paintings from Sydney photographers. In the 1940s he painted the seas for ship-models built by the sculptor Robert Klippel.
Allcot’s studio became a meeting-place for those interested in ships, paintings and models. Regular visitors included maritime artists Oswald Brett and Ian Hansen. Allcot used water-colour, gouache and oils to paint his ships.
Allcot showed impeccable attention to detail in his ship paintings and in 1954 his painting of the Cutty Sark was presented to the Duke of Edinburgh.
His work is represented in private and public collections in Australia and abroad.
- About HMAS Tingira
HMAS Tingira (Ex-Sobraon) was originally laid down as the Sobraon in Scotland. After carrying cargo and passengers between the UK and Australia for many years she was purchased by the NSW government in 1891. Moored off Cockatoo Island she was used as a Nautical School Ship for wayward boys until 1911.
In 1911 Sobraon was purchased by the Commonwealth Government and fitted out as a boy’s training ship at Mort’s Dock Balmain. The name chosen for her was an aboriginal word meaning ‘open sea’ and she became HMAS Tingira when commissioned.
More reading
- Additional resources for John Charles Allcot
- Additional resources for HMAS Tingira
