potter, china painter, needleworker, carver and metal-worker, was born Daisy Morris in Brisbane. Educated at the Brisbane Normal School, she studied art at the Brisbane Technical College under R. Godfrey Rivers . She married Edward Peter Nosworthy in 1908. Three years later, she went to England with her mother and daughter Susan (b.1909), where she studied under Barret Carpenter at the Rochdale School of Art, Lancashire, while supporting herself by working as a retoucher in a photographic studio. She returned to Brisbane in 1919. From 1922 she began studying pottery with L.J. Harvey at the Central Technical College; her potpourri jar was included in the College’s exhibit to the 1924 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley, London.

Daisy Nosworthy was one of the principal exhibitors of pottery in the Arts and Crafts Society of Queensland’s exhibitions in 1923-41 and again in 1946. As well, she exhibited pewter work, silver, weaving, carving, embroidery and leatherwork. She showed modelling, china painting, pottery and woodcarving in the exhibitions of the Queensland National Agricultural and Industrial Association in 1923-29 and won many prizes. Pottery was shown with the Queensland Art Society at its joint exhibition with the Arts and Crafts Society in 1922-23 and 1927-32. She exhibited collections of pewter work in 1931-51 and silver jewellery in 1948 and 1952. She also exhibited pottery with the NSW Society of Arts and Crafts in 1927 (when the Powerhouse Museum acquired a piece) and in 1931. She showed pewter at Sydney in 1940.

From about 1935 Daisy took lessons in working silver from S.S. Sawyer; in 1936 she began exhibiting pewter work and from 1937 silver. Pewter remains in the majority as it was simpler to make. Her delicate silver jewellery is typical of the Arts and Crafts style with tendrils of small leaves framing semi-precious stones.

During World War II Daisy worked as a colourist at the Noel Maitland Photographic Studio. She retired in 1948 to Redcliffe, a seaside resort near Brisbane, and devoted herself to gardening. Except for pottery, she maintained her craft interests and acted as a judge for the craft sections of the Redcliffe Show.

Writers:

Cooke, Glenn R.

Date written:

1995

Last updated:

2011