Engraver, lithographer and printer. Produced Plan of township of Charleston : being part of the Farringdon Estate in the county of Murray ca.1846; Bathurst, Brisbane, Macquarie and numerous other maps for William Henry Wells, “A geographical dictionary, or gazetteer of the Australian colonies” 1848; Map shewing the roads in New South Wales 1852; Plan of allotments on the North Shore and township of North Sydney belonging to William Lithgow Esq.; Plan of Upper Paddington divided into allotments for sale being part of the Point Piper Estate and numerous similar undated local building and auction plans; William Meadows Brownrigg, Plan of the mills, cloth factory and cottages adjoining the Queens Wharf, Parramatta 1853; and, in partnership with William Hankinson Wigley, trading as “Allan & Wigley”, C. E. Langley, Plan of Dunblane, part of the Camperdown estate 1855; Ferdinand Hamilton Reuss & J. L. Browne, Ellensville the property of H. G. Smith Esq. 1855; William Rutter, Plan of eligible villa sites and capital market gardens, portion of the Petersham Estate known as Marrickville to be sold by auction by Messrs. W. Dean & Co. 1855; Plan of a portion of the estate of Boat Alley the property of John Hawdon Esq to be sold by auction 1856; E. J. Bennett, Plan of the village of Hexham : County of Northumberland, New South Wales 1856; Francis Clarke, Map of the city of Sydney, New South Wales 1857; Map of the proposed seven united provinces of eastern Australia 1857; John Russell, Sands & Kenny’s map of Sydney and its environs 1858; J. Roche Ardill, Plan of Braidwood 1859; Samuel Jackson, Plan of the eastern division of Regentville, known as Frogmore to be sold by order of the mortgagees 1861; Reuss & Browne, The Drainwell Estate including the Eastern Division of Parramatta South 1863; T. W. Bowden, Plan of Riverstone near Windsor to be sold by auction 1864, etc. Also produced music, seals, views by Samuel Thomas Gill, etc.
Allan was the son of Alexander Allan of Bonnygate, Cupar, Fifeshire, Scotland, whose death in June 1863 was announced in the Sydney Morning Herald 21 Aug 1863 — and may probably be identified with the John Allan born 9 Apr 1822 and baptised at Dysart, Fife, 5 May 1822 — the son of Alexander Allan and his wife Mary Skinner. He commenced in business with an announcement in the same newspaper on 1 Jul 1845, advertising seal and copperplate engraving, as well as lithographic printing. He advertised his engraving business in “Low’s directory of the city and district of Sydney” for 1846 in the following terms: “Engraving. John Allan, in returning his sincere thanks to his friends and the public generally, for past favors, respectfully solicits a continuance of the same. J. A. having served his apprenticeship to Mr. Clint [Raphael Clint], and being a practical workman in several branches, assures those parties who have not yet favoured him with their orders, that they may rely upon having them executed in a superior manner. Stone, seal and copper plate engraving and printing, executed in the first style. Plans, labels, bill-heads, etc., lithographed. Maps, prints, etc., mounted and varnished with neatness and despatch”. His move to “more eligible premises” in Hunter Street was announced in the Sydney Morning Herald 8 Apr 1847. He traded with William Hankinson Wigley as “Allan & Wigley” from 1 Jan 1855 to the end of 1867. The firm’s move from Bridge Street to George Street was announced in The Empire and other newspapers in July 1858. The partnership was dissolved 1 Jan 1868, Wigley taking over and changing the name to “W. H. Wigley & Co”. In later life Allan concentrated on seal engraving and died at Sydney 22 Oct 1883, reportedly aged fifty-seven. He was buried at Rookwood.
York Street, near the Barrack Gate, Sydney — 1845
Bridge Street, Sydney — 1846
81 King Street West, Sydney — 1846-1847
2 Hunter Street, Sydney — 1847
2 Bridge Street, Sydney — 1850-1852
23 Bridge Street, Sydney — 1855-1858
297 George Street, opposite the Empire Office, Sydney — 1858-1867
– 287 Macquarie Street, Sydney (home) — 1861
84 Upper Fort Street, Sydney — 1883
