painter and art teacher, was born and educated in Ireland. She studied art under P.V. Duffy at the Dublin School of Art before coming to Western Australia in 1920, aged about thirty, to help Henri van Raalte run the Perth School of Art. She kept the school running when van Raalte left for Adelaide in 1923, until about 1937. She also taught at Perth Technical School (1929-35) and at St Mary’s Church of England School for Girls.

Saunders showed work in the first exhibition of the WA Society of Arts after it re-formed in 1920 and continued to exhibit with it in 1922, 1924-31 and 1933-36. She also exhibited with the rival Institute of Artists, a group confined to professional artists and architects, of which she was a foundation member. It, however, held only one exhibition, in 1921, before folding. Far more significantly, she was founder and first president of the WA Women’s Society of Fine Arts and Crafts (later the Women Painters and Applied Arts Society), established in 1935, sending work to its exhibitions in 1936-37, 1939, 1940-41 and 1945. In November 1942 she was included in the 'Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings organised by the War Art Council’. Most of her works are pastel portrait studies.

Writers:

Kerr, Joan Note: Heritage biography

Date written:

1995

Last updated:

2011