George Whinnen

George Whinnen (30 November 1891 – 7 November 1950) was a South Australian painter.

History

He was born in Gawler, South Australia, a son of John and Emily Whinnen, née McIntosh (died 1923). After attending the local primary school he secured a job with A. C. Follett & Co., drapers of Murray Street, Gawler. He showed an interest in painting, so his uncle F. B. Whinnen, a Murray Street grocer, made him a gift of a set of paints.^[1]

His family moved to Willaston, then to Broken Hill, where he worked for Don Tailors and took night classes in painting at the technical school. He took further classes at the East Sydney Technical School. He was a champion rifle marksman, winner of the Galway Cup.^[2] When he left Broken Hill for Adelaide around the end of 1924 a trophy for rifle marksmanship was named for him. A few years later he was able to make art his full-time occupation. He studied under Fred Britton and attended life classes at the Adelaide School of Art.

He won the Melrose Prize for portraiture in 1929^[3] and 1932,^[4] also won prizes for landscapes and seascapes, much of which was painted around Victor Harbor.^[5]

He created a furore in 1940 when he removed a still life from an exhibition run by the R.S.A.S.A. in a protest against the judges.^[6][7] He was president of the Royal South Australian Society of Arts 1940–1950. Also in 1940 he was appointed by the Education Department as teacher of drawing and painting from Life and Still Life.^[8]

The Museum commissioned him to paint a diorama for a major display of Central Australian wildlife.^[9]

His Still Life and Autumn Flowers were once held by the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Family

George Whinnen married Gladys Hill Pearce (1891 – 8 December 1953) on 19 August 1919; they had three daughters:

• Diana (1920–1929)
• Jeanette (26 November 1922 – 8 June 2005) married Hugh Butterworth on 3 November 1951
• Anne (23 September 1931 – ) married Richard Fidock 29 March 1952

They had a home at 5 Rowell Avenue, Glenunga

References

1. "Late Artist Was Born in Gawler". Bunyip. Gawler, SA: National Library of Australia. 17 November 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
2. "Rifle Shooting". The Barrier Miner. Broken Hill, NSW: National Library of Australia. 24 June 1917. p. 1. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
3. "Melrose Prize Winner". The News. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 5 October 1929. p. 4 Edition: SPORTS EDITION. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
4. "Portrait Which Won Melrose Prize". The News. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 4 October 1932. p. 5. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
5. "Flinders News Gallery". Victor Harbour Times (SA : 1932–1954). SA: National Library of Australia. 17 November 1950. p. 4. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
6. "Storm in Art World". The News. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 27 April 1940. p. 5. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
7. "Apology to R.S.A. for Removal of Painting". The News. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 18 May 1940. p. 3. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
8. "Well-Known Artists as Teachers". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 26 November 1940. p. 14. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
9. "New Museum Diorama Has Central Australian Setting". The Mail. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 20 September 1941. p. 17. Retrieved 8 February 2015.