A Rare Early 19th Century Tasmanian Sampler Titled 'Lines on a Lady' made by a student at 'The Queens Female Orphagn School Van Diemens Land, 1838' worked on a fine hemmed gauze. This exceptional sampler needs to be seen to appreciate its dainty proportions and finely executed stitching, displaying decorative motifs as hearts, crowns, flowering trees, stars etc, 15cm by 16.5cm

Van Diemens Land or Tasmania as it was later known, was mainly occupied by convicts and many felt at the time that it was one of the most fearsome and terrible of destinations.

The orphanage (1833-79) was the first purpose built institution on the island for orphaned, destitute and neglected children in the New Town, many were born to convict women. A quote from the period on the conditions; 'the children are cold comfortless, and ill arranged upon a most mistaken system of parsimonious economy...the prevalence of stone pavement, throughout the lower apartments of the building is, in our humble opinion, highly detrimental to the health of the inmates, in one room we saw five little fellows blue and shivering with cold, there was it is true a fireplace in the room, but no fire....We have seen many assemblages of children in our time...but never did we see two hundred human beings, that exhibited so squalid an appearance, as did the majority of the Queen's Orphans'

Needlework was seen as a way of importing a work ethic and self discipline. In 1838 a flat basket made up of embroidered circular panels, in the same style as our sampler, was presented to Lady Jane Franklin who was wife of the Lt Governor at the time, Sir John Franklin. This basket is now owned by the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.