POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Notes

This thermometer was made between 1885 and 1920 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. John Flavelle arrived in Australia around 1842 and worked for Australia's first professional photographer, G. B. Goodman. Four years later he established an optician's and watchmaker's business in Sydney with Samuel Brush which was a highly successful business and had premises at 488 George St and also 478 George St. The partnership dissolved in 1849, and John Flavelle continued to run the 478 George St property, whilst Brush worked from 488 George St. Brush went on to work with Flavelle's brother in law, William McDonnell. John Flavelle was joined by his brother Henry. Both these separate business grew successfully and they were significant retailers of scientific instruments in Sydney in the late 1800s. It is recorded that Henry Flavelle sailed to Australia with his wife and child on the vessel The Chartley Castle leaving Europe in February and arriving in Sydney mid June, 1849. He was travelling with 16 packages of merchandise, including new and innovative scientific instruments, to stock his brother's new shop The business operated under the name Flavelle Brothers until 1850, then Flavelle Brothers and Co until 1869. Reference: Julian Holland, Australian Exploration and the Introduction of the Aneroid Barometer, Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society, No 61 (June 1999), pp 24-26