1995 School Magazine

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@trlg' Grsmmer 5r!r00l @rigbane 1995

ART \\f f ith the new (and refurbished) art rooms W op.n"d at Brisbane Girls' Grammar School in March this year, it seems an appropriate time to pause and reflect on the history of our art teaching, and some of its circumstances. Education for cultivated leisure was an impofiant component of secondary schooling, particulady for girls, and the inaugural curriculum of 1875 carefully included subjects designed to achieve this objective. Mrs O'Connor, the first Lady Principal of the School and an afiist of some distinction, committed the School to the inclusion of drawing and singing in the curriculum, both of which were already taught at the established Brisbane Grammar School, and also to a co-operative programme of utilising their Masters for advanced instruction in many subjects. At BGS only drawing was taught, by one ol the school's most beloved masters, Thomas Macleod; if painting was also taught it has not been recorded. A fine local artist, Silvester Diggles, had been em- ployed at the BGS in 1869 - but in the capacity of a teacher of Music. Macleod's services were shared by the 'Girls' Branch. 'When he was unavailable, Mrs O'Connor made arrangements for a number of gids to attend the Normal School. By the time regular Fine Art Exhibitions were held in Brisbane, which could include student art works, Mrs O'Connor was conductrng Duponb School at Oxley, and she, her daugh- ters and many of their students showed works in oil, water- colour and pencil, demonstrating what well may have been practised rn 1875 - 76 at B.G.G.S. The study of drawing had become extremely regimented by the mid Nineteenth Century. Students drew from the example of master drawings, from plaster casts after antique statuary and from other set examples. Amy Grimes (BGGS 1884) exhibited a "Study of Grapes from the cast" in the 1887 QNAE. It sometimes took years before students were considered accom- plished enough to draw from 'life'. Classical models were deemed essential, and Macleod had tried to obtain casts from statuary in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London for use in the Boys' School as early as 1870, and similady Mrs O'Connor sought 'models' for the use of her students. The Nineteenth Century 'discovery' of the picturesque and open-air landscape painting, utilising portable easels and paint-boxes was certainly not promoted. When Miss MacKinlay took up the position of Lady Principal tn 1879, one of her first requests of the Board of Trustees was that"a gentleman be engaged to teach water-colour painting". The implication here is, of course, that this was not currently offered at the school, and that she had a teacher in mind as she was so sex-specific. Miss MacKinlay must have been rather shaken to receive the reply that a "Master for colour painting may be engaged provided it can be done without cost to the Trustees"; that is, she would have to charge a fee to girls wishing to add painting to their accomplishments. Perhaps this addition to the curriculum did not proceed, for Miss Sophia Beanland again utilised the seruices of Thomas

Macleod, and he crossed the no-man's-land between the schoois until his death in August 1886. His place was then taken (and only at BGGS) byJoseph Augustus Clarke, a most distinguished talent, who had organised the drawing curriculum for the Normal School and taught at the School of Arts in Ann Street. He was apparently most satisfactory, and the Headmistress (by now Miss Pells) stated in her Annual Report that: The drawing classes are making good progress and in several instances I have found not only much ski1l and accuracy, but evidence of considerable artistic taste. Clarke died in 1890, and after only four years the School had to find another replacement. This time they were most fortunate in being able to secure the services of Godfrey Rivers, who arrived in Brisbane in late 1890 to take up a position as head of Art at the Technical College, to replace Clarke as the drawing master. Rivers' distinguished reputation, his recent experience in England and his vigorous 'modern' style were rather under- stated in the announcement of his appointment, made by Miss Pel1s, who referred to him only as a 'gentleman from Sydney'. A painting class had been started "under the able tuition of Mr J. FindlayMcFadyen" in 1889 and 1890, another'visiting'master, and although his talents were lauded, these classes were rapidly assumed by Rivers after his arrival The Board of Trustees of that time were all enthusiastic collectors and patrons of the arts, and probably took an active interest in the appointment of art teachers. Sir Samuel \Talker Griffith (Chairman 1887 - 92,1895 - 1904) also became the first Chairman of the Queensland National Gal1ery, which celebrates its centenary this year, with Godfrey Rivers appointed as its first Curator. \forks by Rivers and by J. Findlay McFadyen were featured in the extensive private collections of both Griffith and another Trustee at that time, J. Henry Oxley, and they often loaned works of art to local cultural events, including the opening of the Queensland Art Ga1lery and the Society of Artists Exhibitions. The new Headmistress of 1.896, Miss Eliza Fewings, was pleased to note that: Our Queensiand girls, have, I think, greater general aptitude for drawing than their English cousins and felt that "the love of order, neatness and beauty should..... be fostered at School". She encouraged the girls to exhibit their artistic efforts, "done in their leisure hours, and at short notice", in the Queensland National Industrial and Agricultural Exhibition (our "Ekka") where they attracted special prizes. She was most satisfied with "the high character of the work being done", so much so that she employed Godfrey Rivers as visiting afi master at The Brisbane High School for Girls which she opened on leaving Grammar on October 1st 1899. Rivers continued to teach at both schools and at the technical college (and to maintain his role at the Art Ga1lery) until he left Brisbane in 19L5. \fhat is remarkable is the high calibre of the afi teachers employed by Grammar at this period;

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