Raphael Clint's Unique Bronze Sundial for South Australia

A unique Clint sundial for South Australia, a bronze sundial (on later wooden base) engraved by Raphael Clint, c 1837-39., with 'R. Clint. Maker' engraved in lower left corner, 'Sydney' in lower right corner and 'Adelaide Latitude 34.59'S' in the semi-circular panel at bottom centre. 17 x 17 cm., Clint was one of only a few makers of sundials in the colony of New South Wales in the late 1830s and certainly the best known of them. Although Clint has signed this sundial in his usual manner, it is unlike other known examples that are also engraved with his name and his location (Sydney) in that it has been made for a location outside New South Wales. Other known examples include sundials made for: Archibald Mosman of St Leonards Lodge, north Shore, Rev Thomas Sharpe of Roxburgh cottage, Bathurst, Henry Edenborough of Wollogorong on the southern tablelands of NSW, a W Scott of ash Island near Newcastle, Daniel Cohen of port Macquarie and James Barker of Lindesay, Darling point., Clint advertised in 1837 that he could provide 'Calculated sun dials... For any five miles in the Colony' as well as computing sundials to any particular locality. In this period, sundials remained particularly useful devices for country dwellers who May have had no town clock nearby and been unable to easily check the accuracy of their own clocks. In fact, Clint aimed his 1837 advertisement at the 'Gentlemen residing or having stations in the interior' as sundials 'Will be found of incalculable utility up the country, where no other means of maintaining a correct knowledge of time exists., Raphael Clint (1797-1849), Son of miniature painter and engraver George Clint, was born in Hertfordshire, and migrated to Western Australia in 1829. He worked first as a surveyor before moving with his wife to van Diemen's land in 1832. By February 1835 Clint had moved to Sydney and set up business as an engraver. Although he relied on assistants to carry out original drawing and printing, Clint's business produced a number of maps, charts and plans of Australasia, caricatures, intaglios, as well as designs and engravings for the first armorial bookplates in New South Wales. The business also engraved copper plaques for tombstones and silver for domestic use, and designed door plates and sundials.