Objects of Substance- Libellum Motif

Betty Young (III B) June 1938, page 34

After 1930, ‘Drawing’ became known as Senior Art and from 1934 the lower Forms took Junior Art. Vera Cottew was a beloved teacher and Head Mistress Kathleen Lilley noted in the ‘Confidential Book’: “Appointed July 1925. Teaches freehand drawing, design, painting, and the history of art… doing excellent work, from which her pupils get much pleasure… Miss Cottew misses no opportunity for encouraging her pupils – takes large groups to see new buildings, and art exhibitions, to illustrate her lessons given in the art room”. Frieze design continued to be included in the Art Curriculum with the tiles becoming quite psychedelic by the 1960s and 1970s. The last tile appeared in the 1974 school magazine, reflecting a mandala design rather than a tile.

Anna Torenbeek (IV B) 1971, page 39

Vera Cottew’s dedication reflected her personal pursuit as a practicing artist. She is recorded in the 1941 Meanjin papers as delivering a presentation on ‘Recent Aspects of Australian Art’ at the July meeting of the Queensland Authors and Artists’ Association. (Meanjin Papers, 1941) Old girl and Australian poet, Gwen Harwood (nee Foster, 1937) remembered her childhood teacher with fondness, referencing her art teacher’s sculpture room and still life arrangements in her poetry. (Golsby-Smith) By her final year at Girls Grammar – 1947 – Cottew had progressed to position of assistant Mistress and was also teaching at the Teachers’ Training College in Brisbane.