Smoking out the opossum.

Primary Artist

Matthew Dubourg (1786–1838)

Title

Smoking out the opossum.

Physical description

plate from Field Sports &c. &c. of the Native Inhabitants of New South Wales, published by Edward Orme, London, 1813

Source

'Field sports...of the native inhabitants of New South Wales'. London: Edward Orme, 1813

Page or Plate number

plate 7

Date made

1 October 1813 (imprint)

Place made

London, Greater London, England View on map Close map

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Category

Print

Print type

intaglio

Technique

etching and aquatint, printed in black ink, from one copper plate; hand coloured in water colour

Matrix size

22.1 × 17.1 cm (printed image) 23.5 × 18.4 cm (plate-mark)

Support

paper

Support size

33.1 × 24.0 cm (sheet)

State

published state

Impression

undesignated impression as issued

Edition information

print run unknown

Subject description

Group of Aboriginals smoking out a hollow tree with burning grasses in order to catch native Australian marsupials for food.

Collection

National Gallery of Victoria

Accession number

1999.400.1

Credit line

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Gurnett-Smith Bequest, 1999

Web address

https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/66803/

Country of context

Australia

Creators

Dubourg, Matthew. | (1786–1838) British | Male | etcher

Clark, John Heaviside. | (1770–1863) Scottish | Male | print after

Orme, Edward | (1774–1848) English | Male | publisher

Last Updated

14 Feb 2026