Hugh Sawrey
Encyclopedia
Hugh Sawrey CBE was an Australian artist and founder of the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame
, Longreach. Sawrey was an artist whose prolific output of paintings,and drawings of the Australian landscape
and its people contributed in a profound way to the preserving of the memory of times and places in Australian history that were in danger of being overlooked and lost to posterity. Throughout his long career, he experienced firsthand events that shaped Australian identity in the 20th century and documented through his work many of the characters that lived in this period.
died when Hugh was only three years old. Together with his mother and older brother Alan, Hugh moved to Brisbane
in the early 30's. However he left school when he was 15 and began working in outback QLD to assist his family during the Great Depression
. He worked a multitude of jobs from droving
to shearing
, traveling extensively throughout the interior of Queensland
, the Northern Territory
, and Western Australia
.
and served in the Aust Tank Attack Regiment (AIF) and later transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force
20th Squadron Catalina's in New Guinea. After his discharge at the end of the war Sawrey used his service pay to buy a mob of cattle which he ran on a small property on the Darling Downs with his mother.
. Later he was represented by Wynn Schubert Galleries and Jim Elder Fine Art in Adelaide
.
In 1964 Sawrey met and married his wife Gill Sawrey on the Gold Coast
.
. Sawrey was also the founder and a former chairman of the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame at Longreach.
His work was exhibited in most of Australia's major galleries and also in London at the Tryon Gallery. His work is represented in important public and private collections including the following collections in Australia: the Queensland Art Gallery
, the Robert Holmes a’Court Collection, the Sir Rupert & Lady Clarke Collection, the Lady Fairfax Collection and the Robert Nesen Collection.
Overseas collections include the Dunedin Public Art Gallery
in New Zealand
, the Australian Embassy in Paris; Rothschild Collection, Paris
; the Lord T. Remnant Collection in Britain; King Ranch
, Texas
, USA and the Mitsubishi Collection in Japan
.
Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame
The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame is a museum located in Longreach, Queensland, Australia, which pays tribute to pioneers of the Australian outback...
, Longreach. Sawrey was an artist whose prolific output of paintings,and drawings of the Australian landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
and its people contributed in a profound way to the preserving of the memory of times and places in Australian history that were in danger of being overlooked and lost to posterity. Throughout his long career, he experienced firsthand events that shaped Australian identity in the 20th century and documented through his work many of the characters that lived in this period.
Early life
His father, a teamsterTeamster
A teamster, in modern American English, is a truck driver. The trade union named after them is the International Brotherhood of Teamsters , one of the largest unions in the United States....
died when Hugh was only three years old. Together with his mother and older brother Alan, Hugh moved to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in the early 30's. However he left school when he was 15 and began working in outback QLD to assist his family during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. He worked a multitude of jobs from droving
Droving
Droving is the practice of moving livestock over large distances by walking them "on the hoof".Droving stock to market, usually on foot and often with the aid of dogs, has a very long history in the old world...
to shearing
Sheep shearing
Sheep shearing, shearing or clipping is the process by which the woollen fleece of a sheep is cut off. The person who removes the sheep's wool is called a shearer. Typically each adult sheep is shorn once each year...
, traveling extensively throughout the interior of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, and Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
Military service
He enlisted in the Army during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and served in the Aust Tank Attack Regiment (AIF) and later transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
20th Squadron Catalina's in New Guinea. After his discharge at the end of the war Sawrey used his service pay to buy a mob of cattle which he ran on a small property on the Darling Downs with his mother.
Recognition
In 1964 Sawrey moved to Brisbane to become an artist full-time and he set up his first studio in the Royal Hotel in Queen Street, Brisbane. His first Dealers were Keith Moore of the The Grand Central Gallery, Julian Stirling, Southern Cross Gallery Melbourne & John Cooper, Eight Bells Gallery, Surfers ParadiseSurfers Paradise, Queensland
Surfers Paradise is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Surfers Paradise had a population of 18,501....
. Later he was represented by Wynn Schubert Galleries and Jim Elder Fine Art in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
.
In 1964 Sawrey met and married his wife Gill Sawrey on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
.
The Stockmans Hall of Fame
Sawrey exhibited widely throughout Australia and in 1979 was selected as one of two Australian artists to represent Australia in “The Horses of the World” exhibition in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Sawrey was also the founder and a former chairman of the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame at Longreach.
Exhibitions and Collections
In his long career Sawrey was awarded several art prizes including the Queensland Industries Fair Gold Medal and in 1989 he was awarded a CBE for services to the arts.His work was exhibited in most of Australia's major galleries and also in London at the Tryon Gallery. His work is represented in important public and private collections including the following collections in Australia: the Queensland Art Gallery
Queensland Art Gallery
The Queensland Art Gallery is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre, and is located nearest to Brisbane River at South Bank...
, the Robert Holmes a’Court Collection, the Sir Rupert & Lady Clarke Collection, the Lady Fairfax Collection and the Robert Nesen Collection.
Overseas collections include the Dunedin Public Art Gallery
Dunedin Public Art Gallery
The Dunedin Public Art Gallery holds the main public art collection of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. Located in The Octagon in the heart of the city, it is close to the city's public library, municipal chambers, and other facilities such as the Regent Theatre.-History:The gallery was founded by...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the Australian Embassy in Paris; Rothschild Collection, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
; the Lord T. Remnant Collection in Britain; King Ranch
King Ranch
King Ranch, located in south Texas between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, is one of the world's largest ranches. The ranch, founded in 1853 by Captain Richard King and Gideon K. Lewis, includes portions of six Texas counties, including most of Kleberg County and much of Kenedy County, with...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, USA and the Mitsubishi Collection in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.