painter and art teacher, was born in Geelong, only daughter of Mary Ann and Thomas Peters, a slater and timber merchant. Also known as 'Annie’, Helen received her education in Geelong, passing both her Civil Service and Matriculation examinations at Flinders School in 1883. Then she became a student in the School of Art and Design at Geelong Technological School under Edmund Sasse . She continued to study under Sasse at the Gordon Technological College when it was established in 1888. In 1891-94 she was a pupil at Melbourne’s National Gallery Schools under Bernard Hall. She also studied at the Melbourne Art School under Tudor St George Tucker and Emanuel Phillips Fox and attended their summer school at Charterisville, a memento of which survives in the form of a portrait sketch of her by Fox (GAG). Peters was a successful student, Dux of Gordon College and winner of several awards. She was a prize-winner in the 1884 competition held by Schools of Design throughout the colony and at the 1888-89 Melbourne Centennial International Exhibition won a first and second order of merit for two chalk drawings. She received awards in several categories of the drawing section in the 1890 teaching certificate examination in connection with the South Kensington School of Art, London.

From 1892 Peters was offering private drawing and painting classes at her home in Elizabeth Street, Geelong. From 1895 to 1905 she exhibited with the Victorian Artists’ Society and the Yarra Sculptors’ Society in Melbourne. She also exhibited in the NSW Society of Artists’ Commonwealth Exhibition in 1901 and with the Royal Arts Society in 1904. According to the Geelong Advertiser 's reviewer of her retrospective exhibition at the Gordon Technical College in 1903, she was 'probably better known in the art centres of Melbourne and Sydney than she is in Geelong’. She showed almost sixty paintings in her exhibition, with sentimental figure groups and portraits dominating. The Advertiser reported that Frederick McCubbin had sent a letter to mark the opening, which stated that 'Geelong should be proud of Miss Peters’ work when it was considered that she was one of the foremost lady artists in Australia. He concluded by congratulating her upon her industry and position in the art world.’

Helen Peters was actively involved in the Melbourne art scene. She was a member of the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors for ten years (1906-16) and her work was included in the Women’s Work Exhibition at Melbourne in 1907. In 1911 she had work hung at the Royal Academy, London. She continued to teach art in Geelong, where she was also called upon for her talents as a pianist. She died at her Elizabeth Street home on 7 September 1923, aged fifty-seven, and was buried in Geelong Cemtery.

Writers:

Filmer, Veronica

Date written:

1995

Last updated:

2011