The Gumleaf Artist is a biographical family history that brings to life the remarkable story of Australian bush artist Alfred William Eustace (1820–1907).
Set against the backdrop of the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), the book traces Alfred’s early life in England and his emigration to colonial Victoria in 1851 with his wife Sarah and their young family, at the dawn of the Indigo Gold Rush. It follows their journey through the struggles, adaptations, and triumphs experienced by many pioneer families in North-East Victoria from the gold rush years through to Federation and into the early twentieth century.
What began as a journey into family history soon became a deeper exploration of Alfred William Eustace’s life, work, and world. Rather than presenting a conventional genealogy, the book uncovers a rich series of stories that illuminate everyday life in the Australian bush over a fifty-year period, from 1851 to 1901. Of particular interest is Alfred’s unique artistic practice, painting miniature landscapes of North-East Victoria on gum leaves—works that would eventually reach Queen Victoria, the Emperor of Germany, and the Czar of Russia.
Alfred William Eustace is the great, great grandfather of many living descendants. The author, Kenneth Eustace, writes from the fifth generation branch of the family, alongside Brian Allison (dec), Fay Allison, John Ellis (dec), and Graeme Eustace. Childhood memories of Alfred’s gum-leaf paintings hanging in a grandmother’s home in Albury, New South Wales, later inspired a renewed quest to understand the man behind the art.
Drawing on a wide range of artefacts—including photographs, documents, maps, audio recordings, film, and artworks—the book offers readers an immersive sense of “being there”: making life-shaping decisions, enduring hardship, celebrating success, and witnessing historical change while raising a family in regional Victoria during a formative period of Australia’s history.
Ultimately, the book invites readers not to judge their ancestors, but to appreciate and understand their journeys. As noted by reviewer David Gilbey in July 2022, the narrative adopts a form of narrative multivocality, allowing multiple voices to speak across time—an approach often cited in literary studies of family history and memory.