Fanny Gibbes was born in Jamaica ca. 1822, the third daughter of military officer John George Nathaniel Gibbes (1787-1873) and his wife Elizabeth, nee Davis. Major Gibbes (later Colonel) was Collector of Customs for the port of Falmouth in Jamaica from 1819 to 1827. In 1833 he was appointed Collector of Customs in New South Wales and the family arrived in Sydney per the 'Resource' in April 1834. They lived for some years at Henrietta Villa, Point Piper, the 'naval villa' erected by Gibbes' predecessor, Captain John Piper. In 1842 they moved to 'Wotonga' the house built for Gibbes at Kirribilli. The family later moved to Greycliffe in Vaucluse before settling at Yarralumla, in what is now the ACT, a property that had been in the ownership of Fanny's brother Augustus Gibbes. By that time Fanny had married the Hon. Alfred "Old Bricks" Ludlam (1810-1877), a settler in Newry, New Zealand.
An apparently identical drawing, with the same title, date and signature, is held in the National Library of Australia. This second picture was found at Yarralumla House in 1922.
Presented to Trustees of Vaucluse House in October 1942 by Mr Charles Adolphus de Kantzow. Purchased by donor's father at auction in Brighton, England, in 1911.
