HMS Wallaroo and Royal Arthur

Depicts two vessels from the Royal Navy Auxiliary Squadron, HMS Wallaroo and HMS Royal Arthur. HMS Wallaroo (originally laid down as HMS Persian) was a third class cruiser, and HMS Royal Arthur, a first class cruiser and flagship of the Auxiliary Squadron. In June 1900 the British government sought and received permission from the Australian colonies to send the Auxiliary Squadron ship Wallaroo based in Sydney, and two Australian squadron ships to China. They arrived in September 1900 but were too late to see any significant fighting.

Julian Ashton was born in England and moved to Australia in 1878 to work for Illustrated Australian News. He later worked for Australasian Sketcher and Picturesque Atlas of Australasia before founding the Sydney Art School. His art school attracted such students as George Lambert and Sydney Long. In Sydney he became the central figure of a group of artists that included Charles Condor, Henry Fullwood and Girolamo Nerli.