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Donald Friend (1915-1989)
Biography
1915 Born in Sydney. Spent boyhood years in Sydney and on family property in north-western NSW
1927-30 Attended Cranbrook School, Bellevue Hill, and Sydney Grammar School, Sydney. Art classes with Sidney Long
1931-33 Left school and travelled to Queensland, 'jumping the rattlers' (freight trains). Lived with the islanders of Torres Strait
1934 Returned to Sydney, enrolling at Dattilo-Rubbo's art school
1936 Studied at the Westminster Art School, London, under Mark Gertler and Bernard Meninsky. Designed costumes for Sadlers Wells Ballet
1937 Painted a mural for the Australian Wool Corporation in the Australian pavilion at the British Empire Exhibition, Glasgow, together with William Dobell, Arthur Murch and George Duncan
1938-39 Lived in Nigeria, West Africa. Adviser to the Ogoga of Ikerre
1940-41 Returned to Sydney, then to Cairns, Green Island and Torres Strait for 18 months
1940-56 Exhibited with the Sydney Society of Artists, met Sydney Ure Smith. Exhibited with Contemporary Art Society
1941-57 Exhibited with the Contemporary Group, Blaxland and Macquarie Galleries
1941-44 Published short stories, articles and cartoons in Ure Smith's 'Australian National Journal'
1942 Cairns Store purchased by Art Gallery of NSW. Enlisted in AIF, assigned to an artillery training regiment in Sydney
1943 Took part in malaria experiments, awarded the Commander-in-Chief's Card for Distinguished Service
1945 Appointed Official War Artist, with rank of Lieutenant in Military History Section. Served in Labuan, Borneo and Morotui
1946 Awarded Pacific Star, War Medal, Australia Service Medal. Lived again in Torres Strait
1947 Painting trip to Sofala and Hill End in mid-western NSW with Russell Drysdale. Purchased 19th century cottage in Hill End
1949-53 Sailed to Italy via Sri Lanka. Lived in Florence, London, Ischia.
1954 Painting trip to north Queensland with Margaret Olley
1955 Wrote 'Hillendiana', an anecdotal local history of Hill End
1957-62 Lived in Sri Lanka
1966-79 Lived primarily in Bali, with trips to Italy and Sri Lanka
1980 Returned to Australia to live permanently, settling in Bondi Junction in 1981, then Woollahra in 1987. Period of intense painting
1989 Died in Woollahra, Sydney
Selected Solo Exhibitions
1938 'First exhibition of Drawings', REA Wilson Ltd, London
1942-52 Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
1952 Redfern Gallery, London
1953-61 The Johnstone Gallery, Brisbane
1956-62 Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
1966, 68 Von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle
1970-72 Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
1971-73 Galerie Drouant, Paris
1975-78 Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1975 Retrospective celebrating his 60th year as an artist, Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
1979 Von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle
1979-81 Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
1981, 83 Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane
1984-87 Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1987 Bonython Meadmore Galleries, Adelaide
1990 Retrospective exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
Awards
1955 Blake Prize
1988 University Medal, University of Sydney, for his services to the arts
Collections
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart
National Library of Australia, Canberra
SH Ervin Gallery, National Trust of Australia, Sydney
Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney
Brisbane City Hall Art Gallery and Museum
Sydney Opera House Trust, Sydney
University of Sydney Collection
University of Queensland, Brisbane
Carrick Hill Trust, Adelaide
Robert Holmes a Court collection
Neka Museum and Gallery, Bali
Many corporate and private collections throughout Australia and overseas
Sources:
Barry Pearce, Donald Friend 1915-1989: Retrospective, Art Gallery of New South Wales catalogue, The Beagle Press, Sydney, 1990
Gavin Fry and Colleen Fry, Donald Friend: Australian War Artist 1945, Currey O'Neill, Melbourne, 1982
Robert Hughes Donald Friend Edwards and Shaw, Sydney, 1965
KR
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