Design and Art Australia Online

Arthur Streeton was born on 8 April 1867 at Mount Duneed, Geelong, Victoria, the son of a schoolteacher. He took night classes at the National Gallery School, Melbourne, from 1882-87 and for two years during that time he worked as an apprentice lithographer with George Troedel & Co., Melbourne.

In the summer of 1886 Streeton met Tom Roberts and Frederick McCubbin, and subsequently joined their painting camps around Heidelberg and Box Hill, on the outskirts of Melbourne, where they were joined by Charles Conder . Streeton exhibited about forty small plein air paintings in the ’9 × 5 Impressions’ exhibition of 1889. He moved to Sydney in 1890, where he became known for his lyric views of the area around Sydney Harbour and heroic landscapes of the Blue Mountains and the Hawkesbury River.

In 1897, Streeton left for England, breaking his journey with a stay in Cairo and Naples. While living in London he visited Italy and France and made several return trips to Australia. He admired the landscapes of Constable and Turner, as well as those of Philip Wilson Steer.

During the First World War Streeton served as an orderly at the 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, and was subsequently appointed an official war artist, working in France. He finally returned to Australia in 1923, where he painted sunny, pastoral landscapes – which were appropriated in the cause of a conservative nationalism. In 1929 he became art critic for Melbourne Argus . He campaigned to preserve native forests, and sought better urban planning for Melbourne. After his wife’s death in 1938, Streeton retired to Olinda where he devoted most of his time to his gardening and listening to music. He died on 1 September 1943 at Olinda, Victoria.

Writers:

Gray, Dr Anne

Date written:

2006

Last updated:

2011