Memory, Fire and Forgery: Hankey’s 1855 Panorama of Port Adelaide

Name: Memory, Fire and Forgery: Hankey’s 1855 Panorama of Port Adelaide
Start: 2026-05-26T11:00:00+09:30
End: 2026-05-26T12:00:00+09:30
Location: North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia, South Australia 5000

Schedule

Tue May 26 2026 at 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

UTC+09:30

Location

North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia, South Australia 5000 | Adelaide, SA

One of the State Library’s newest treasures is a panorama of Port Adelaide and the Port River, painted in 1855 by visiting businessman and artist Frank (Francis) George Hankey. The panorama, which measures nearly two metres long, captures a busy scene of ships, wharves, and the buildings of early Port Adelaide – most of which were destroyed in a catastrophic fire only two years later.
But can we trust what Hankey shows us? Part of the panorama is labelled ‘from memory’, and the artist was later convicted of fraud and forgery.
In this talk with historian Dr Clare Parker, we’ll explore the people and places of early Port Adelaide and show why Hankey’s painting is thought to be a remarkably accurate view of the Port as it was in 1855.