A 161-year-old oil painting by Russian-born artist Nicholas Chevalier is serving as an unexpected roadmap for environmental restoration efforts in Australia's Grampians National Park. The masterpiece, titled "Mt Abrupt, The Grampians c.1864," has become a crucial reference tool for volunteers working to restore the region's native vegetation to its original glory.
Retired farmer Bill Weatherly, former president of The Friends of the Forgotten Woodlands, continues to volunteer with the organization that has planted and distributed nearly 50,000 trees across Victoria's western region over the past decade. Standing beneath the imposing Mount Abrupt, Weatherly reflects on the wisdom of an ancient proverb: "Blessed is he who plants trees under whose shade he will never sit." He offers his own Australian interpretation: "An old man planting trees, it says something. I just think it's a great pleasure to plant a tree and, yes, it's a statement of hope, I suppose."
Chevalier's painting holds particular significance among colonial Australian artworks due to its authentic representation of the Australian landscape. Unlike many of his contemporaries who painted European-style landscapes with minor Australian modifications, Chevalier committed to depicting Australian trees and scenery exactly as they appeared. Dr. Samantha Happé, curator and philosophy doctorate from Hamilton Gallery, explains that other artists "would paint the same techniques and the same palettes and the same imagery as the English landscape, but then they'd throw something a little bit Australian in there. Whereas Chevalier would go out of his way to try to actually show Australian trees and Australian scenery as it is."
The artist created his masterpiece from a grassy clearing now owned by Nature Glenelg Trust, accessible through rural Dunkeld via gravel roads, three farm gates, and past grazing sheep. Here, Chevalier observed and sketched the green plains, meandering creek, and the imposing 400-million-year-old mountain range before returning to his studio to capture the scene with oil paints. He produced three versions of the Mt Abrupt image, with the most iconic version housed in Hamilton Gallery.
Chevalier's artistic approach was rooted in the Romantic tradition, particularly influenced by German and Russian Romantics who believed in the emotional power of landscapes. "The style was very scientific and technical. They had to make sure they got the exact right type of soil, the exact right type of leaf on the tree," Dr. Happé explains. This meticulous attention to detail has proven invaluable for modern restoration efforts.
The landscape has undergone significant changes over the past 160 years, with the colorful banksia, she-oak, and bursaria trees featured prominently in Chevalier's painting becoming less prevalent. About five years ago, volunteers from The Friends of the Forgotten Woodlands decided to restore the area to match Chevalier's depiction. "The paintings show quite clearly what species was growing in that spot – you've got artistic license and all that to consider, but it does give a bit of a picture," Weatherly said. "It validated perhaps what we were trying to do – getting the trees back in the landscape."
Using the 1864 painting as their guide, the group has successfully planted 400 banksia, she-oak, and bursaria trees in the area. Their restoration efforts extend beyond simple replanting; volunteers collect seeds and propagate from remnant plant populations while ecologists mix genetics to establish new populations better equipped to overcome inbreeding issues and adapt to changing environmental conditions.
The painting's influence has also inspired contemporary art. As part of Hamilton Gallery's current exhibition "Emma Stuart: One Land, Many Views," which concluded on September 7, artist Emma Stuart reinterpreted Chevalier's masterpiece. Her work, "Mud-dadjug, a new view," depicts the same landscape using Gariwerd sand on wooden panels, offering an entirely new perspective on the historic scene.
Reflecting on his work from the same vantage point where Chevalier once stood, Weatherly often contemplates the natural beauty that has defined his life in the Grampians region. "We're lucky to be here – for these magnificent red gums, the river down below us, the banksias with their honeysuckle flowers... we can still hear the pardalote birds in the trees and cockatoos," he said. "It's still an attractive landscape, but what a rich landscape this would have been a couple of hundred years ago. And how striking that mountain is. It just stands over us. This is a pretty good spot to be."
For Weatherly, the restoration project represents more than environmental conservation – it's about sharing meaningful experiences with like-minded individuals and making a lasting contribution beyond his farming career. "It's been a great pleasure for me after my farming life to be part of something which I hope is worthwhile," he said. "Sharing that experience with other people who are like-minded – it's a real pleasure."
