Edwin Russell Tanner b. 31 December 1920

  • Artist (Painter)
Painter and engineer, won a commemorative medal for painting at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. Tanner also did preliminary work towards a MA degree in Philosophy at Monash in 1969.
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Painter and engineer, was born in Pengam, South Wales on 31 December 1920 and migrated to Australia with his family when he was three. He left school during the Depression aged 13 and worked at the BHP Port Kembla Steel Works. He began attending night classes in building construction in 1937 and taking correspondence courses in mathematics at London University. After completing his studies in structural and civil engineering, he moved to Hobart where he was appointed engineer in charge of power station designs with the HEC 1950-55. He studied part-time at Hobart Technical College under Jack Carington Smith in 1951-55, winning the Tasmanian Sesquicentenary Prize silver medal in 1954 and formally graduating in 1956, then did a part-time BA at the University of Tasmania in 1955-57. He won a commemorative medal for painting at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games and did preliminary work towards a MA degree in Philosophy at Monash in 1969.

Tanner moved to Melbourne in 1957 to work as a chief engineer and later as a consulting engineer in private practice. He travelled to Europe in 1966-67 and also travelled extensively in Asia, the Middle East, UK, Ireland and the USA.

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Writers:
Staff Writer
Date written:
1999
Last updated:
2011

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References [<ExternalResource: Tanner, E. (July 1957), 'Professional Engineers', The Professional Engineer, vol. 11, no. 7, .>, <ExternalResource: Tanner, E. (June 1957), 'Professional Engineers', The Professional Engineer, vol. 11, no. 6, .>, <ExternalResource: Reid, B. (December 1971), 'Maker and Sign maker - some aspects of the art of Edwin Tanner', Art & Australia, vol. 9, no. 3, .>, <ExternalResource: Backhouse, S. (1988), 'Tasmanian Artists of the 20th century', Hobart, Tasmania.>, <ExternalResource: Bonython, K. (1970), 'Australian Painting 1960-1970', Adelaide, South Australia: Rigby.>, <ExternalResource: Campbell, J. (1983), 'Australian Watercolour Painters 1780-1980', Adelaide, South Australia: Rigby.>, <ExternalResource: Harwood, G. (1986), 'Edwin Tanner', Art Bulletin of Tasmania, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart.>, <ExternalResource: Horton, M. (1969), 'Present Day Art in Australia', Sydney, New South Wales.>, <ExternalResource: Horton, M. (1975), 'Australian Painters of the 70s', Ure Smith.>] [<ExternalResource: Tanner, E. (July 1957), 'Professional Engineers', The Professional Engineer, vol. 11, no. 7, .>, <ExternalResource: Tanner, E. (June 1957), 'Professional Engineers', The Professional Engineer, vol. 11, no. 6, .>, <ExternalResource: Reid, B. (December 1971), 'Maker and Sign maker - some aspects of the art of Edwin Tanner', Art & Australia, vol. 9, no. 3, .>]