Lenton Parr was an Australian sculptor and teacher born in East Coburg, Victoria

Coburg, Victoria

Coburg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland, although a handful of properties on Coburg's Eastern boundary are located in the City of Darebin...

.

He spent eight years in 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...

 before enrolling to study sculpture at the Royal Melbourne Technical College (now RMIT University

RMIT University

RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....

), then worked in England 1955–57 as an assistant to Henry Moore

Henry Moore

Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....

. There he was influenced by Reg Butler

Reg Butler

Reginald Cotterell Butler was an English sculptor. He studied and lectured at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London from 1937 to 1939. He was a conscientious objector during the Second World War, being exempted from military service conditional upon setting up a small...

 and Eduardo Paolozzi

Eduardo Paolozzi

Sir Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi, KBE, RA , was a Scottish sculptor and artist. He was a major figure in the international art sphere, while, working on his own interpretation and vision of the world. Paolozzi investigated how we can fit into the modern world to resemble our fragmented civilization...

 to work with enamelled steel structures, which was to become his lifelong specialty. On his return to Melbourne he embarked on a career in art education which culminated in his appointment as director (1974–84) of the Victorian College of the Arts

Victorian College of the Arts

The Faculty of the VCA and Music is a faculty of the University of Melbourne, in Victoria . VCAM is located near the Melbourne central business district, on two campuses, one - the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - on the Parkville campus of the University of Melbourne, and the other - the...

.

He was a member of the Victorian Sculptors' Society and its seventh president. Around 1960 he joined with Clifford Last

Clifford Last

Clifford Frank Last was an English sculptor born in England, the son of Nella Last, British author of the war diary Housewife, 49.- Early life :...

, Inge King

Inge King

Inge King is a prominent Australian sculptor, who has many significant public, commercial, and private sculpture commissions to her credit....

, Vincas Jomantas and Teisutis Zikaras

Teisutis Zikaras

Teisutis 'Joe' Zikaras was an Australian sculptor born in Panevėžys, Lithuania. He earned a diploma at the School of Fine Arts, Kaunas, Lithuania, where his father Juozas, creator of Lithuania's famous Liberty statue, was Head...

 to form a splinter group which exhibited together as the 'Centre Five'. In 1967 the group split from the Society, which never recovered from the departure of so many of its prominent members.

The Lenton Parr Library (Lenton Parr Music, Visual and Performing Arts Library—formerly Victorian College of the Arts Library) of the University of Melbourne

University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...

was named for him.