Sturt Collection
The Sturt Collection is of national significance. It is the largest collection of Captain Sturt’s artefacts in the southern hemisphere. The Collection was entrusted to the Charles Sturt Memorial Museum Trust Inc in 1966 by members of the Sturt family in England and includes other items that are provenanced to Sturt and donated by members of the south Australian public.
The Sturt Collection has its origins with the family of Napier Sturt, eldest son of Charles Sturt. Napier retired from the army in 1889 to Llanvihangel Court Monmouthshire where he and his wife Beatrix, the biographer of Charles Sturt, lived until 1910.
As a widow Beatrix lived for over 40 years at Winterdyne, Bewdley Worchester with her daughter Katharine who ended her days at Uley Lodge Dursley, Gloucestershire. Katharine inherited much of the furniture belonging to Charles and Charlotte through her cousin Charlotte Eyre Sturt, daughter of Charles. Other items passed into the possession of her brother Geoffrey who lived at Lullingworth, Painswick, in the same country.
Beatrix Sturt
The family furniture for Grange was chosen from Lullingworth and Uley Lodge. Items include Sturt’s kneehole desk, wig stand, Persian carpets, comode, piano stool, sofa table, toiletry mirror, ebonised can seats, handing wall cabinet, cheffonier, dining table and chairs, Dessert set, cellaret, wine cooler, long drop clock. Historic artefacts include Sturt’s silve cup from the Survey Department, the Union Jacks of the River Murray Expedition and Central Expedition, Founders Gold Medal, 11 maps early 19th century, Finch under Dome, portraits of Sturt’s children, the hairlocks of Sturt and his children, 10 pks seeds from Sturt’s garden, Chinese Thank You Box, Minature Chines lacquered cabinet, quondong bracelets, sapphire ring and pendant.
