painter and teacher, born SA. She studied at the SASA, Adelaide—at the School of Painting under L. Tannert and at the School of Design under H.P. Gill—then went to London and studied at the Royal College of Art, South Kensington. After returning to Adelaide, she was appointed Art Instructor at the School of Design in 1892 [acc. Mather] or 1893 [acc. Lindsay], a position she was still holding in 1913 stated J.B. Mather [when it was called the Adelaide School of Art].

Her paintings, in oil and watercolour, consisted of still life and flower subjects. Her Ranunculus (oil, 19 × 19 ins) was purchased for the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) from the Elder Bequest in 1903. It is a fine floral study, “one of the many successes that this artist has achieved in this department of art” (J.B. Mather, AGSA catalogue 1913). A 1917 photograph in an album of photographs taken and collected by Alfred Searcy (ML: see postcard) shows 'Miss Lizzie Armstrong, the Artist and Pupil’.

Armstrong died in England in 1930 (McCubbin) and in 1931 a fund was started to establish the Elizabeth Armstrong Memorial Library in the old SA School of Arts and Crafts.

Writers:

Staff Writer

Date written:

1999

Last updated:

2011