Douglas Dundas papers, 1903-1981, together with the papers of Dorothy Thornhill, ca. 1930-1987

MLMSS 7214/Boxes 1-12
MLMSS 7214/Box 13X

fonds

1903-1987

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Clippings, Ephemera, Drawings, Photographs

421866

2.48 metres of textual material (12 boxes, 1 outsize item) - manuscript, photocopy, typescript, typescript carbon, typescript processed, and printed

Douglas Robert Dundas (1900-1981), art teacher and painter, was born at Inverell, N.S.W., the son of Robert Dundas, farmer and storekeeper, and his wife, Fanny, nee McCrea. He took up watercolour painting as a teenager. In 1921 he was introduced to the artist Eliot Gruner who had been scouting the region for a landscape subject. Gruner's influence led to Dundas enrolling in the Sydney Art School evening classes in 1922, while working by day as a window dresser in a retail store. The following year he was a student in the Saturday afternoon painting classes.

Dundas won the 1927 Society of Arts Travelling Art Scholarship to study abroad for two years. He studied at the Regent Street Polytechnic School of Art, London, travelled in Italy, and lived in Paris where he exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Francaise. He returned to Sydney in 1929 to hold his first one-man exhibition at the Macquarie Galleries.

In 1931 Dundas joined the full-time staff of the Art Department, East Sydney Technical College, later the National Art School. He was Head Teacher of Painting, 1938-1960, then Head of the School until his retirement in 1965. In 1952 he had taken long-service leave for a study tour of Great Britain and Europe. Later that year he led the Australian delegation at the International Conference of Artists held during the Venice Biennale. In 1963 he received a Ford Foundation Fellowship to study art education in the U.S.A., Japan, England and Greece.

Dundas shared his expertise with a number of organisations, predominantly art bodies. He was elected member of the Society of Artists in 1930 and held the office of President from 1948 to 1961. Other appointments included being member of the N.S.W. Government Travelling Art Scholarship Committee, 1947-1968; Trustee of the Art Gallery of N.S.W., 1948-1970; member, 1949-1951, Chairman and then President in 1969 of the Arts Council of Australia (N.S.W. Division); member of the former Postmaster-General's Department's Stamp Advisory Committee, 1958-1975; and Trustee of the Robin Hood Committee, 1961-1981. He was awarded the M.B.E. for services to art in 1969.

Douglas Dundas married twice: first, in 1929, Sheila Margaret McEacharn, by whom he had a son, Kerry (b. 1931), who became a well-known photographer; and secondly, in 1941, Dorothy Thornhill (1900-1987), the painter and noted longtime teacher of figure drawing at the National Art School from 1937.

I. DOUGLAS DUNDAS

A. Correspondence, 1921-1981
(Arranged chronologically)

1921-1957; Correspondence (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/1/1)
1958-1981; Correspondence (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/1/2)
Date unknown; Undated correspondence (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/1/3)

Correspondents in MLMSS 7214/1-3 include Gwenda Abbott, Date unknown; Jim Adley, Date unknown; L. H. (Les) Allen, 1946-1947, 1957, 1959; Catherine Ardizzone, 1979; Will Ashton, 1960-1961; Paul Astroshenko, 1971; Australian National Advisory Committee for Unesco, 1963, 1971; Paul Beadle, 1948; Howard Beale, 1957, 1963; Margery Beale, 1958, 1962; Frank Beck, 1964; Jean Bellette, 1952; Peter Blayney, 1949, 1962; Arthur d'Auvergne Boxall, 1929, 1930, 1940-1943, Date unknown; John Brackenreg, 1957, 1963, 1966, 1969; Ernest Burbridge, 1962; Basil Burdett, Date unknown; Robert Campbell, 1946, 1948, 1953-1954; Jack Carington Smith, 1956, 1964; Norman Carter, 1956-1958, 1960, 1964; Maie Casey, 1940; Judy Cassab, 1969; Lindsay Churchland, 1962, 1967, 1977, 1979; Margaret Cilento, 1948; Commonwealth Institute (Great Britain), 1959; Joseph Thomas Connor, 1939; James (Jimmy) Cook, 1932-1933, 1937, 1951, 1959, Date unknown; Ruth Cook, 1951-1952, Date unknown; Robert P. Cummings, 1953; Lyndon Dadswell, 1957, 1958; L. Roy Davies, 1974; Lucien Dray, 1967; Colin Dean, 1945-1946; Fanny Dundas, Date unknown; Max Dupain, 1933; Moya Dyring, Date unknown; Mary Eagle, 1977; Gordon Esling, 1929, 1971-1972; Maximilian Feuerring, 1957; George Finey, 1963; Rah Fizelle, 1929, 1931; Arthur Fleischmann, 1950; Hector Gilliland, 1943-1946, 1954, Date unknown; Tom Gleghorn, 1962-1963; Eugene Goossens, 1955; Harley Griffiths, 1957; Elioth Gruner, 1921-1922; Weaver Hawkins, Date unknown; R. J. Heffron, 1959; Dorothy Helmrich, 1963, 1971; Mervyn Horton, 1959; R. Haughton James (Victorian Art Society), 1948; Brian Johnstone (Marodian Gallery, Brisbane, Qld), 1951; Dorothy M. Kennedy, 1958, 1960-1961; Morris Kestelman, 1964; Jack N. Kilgour, 1965; Eileen Kramer, 1966; Hilde Kraus, 1964; Adrian Larkin (Institute of International Education), 1963-1964; T. Boyd Law, 1958; Arthur Leydin, 1972; Daryl Lindsay, 1949; Lionel Lindsay, 1949; Sheila Margaret McEacharn, 1933?; Sir James R. McGregor, 1970; Barbara McKay, Date unknown; Alison McMaugh, 1957-1960, 1964, 1976, 1979, Date unknown; Macquarie Galleries, 1968; Eileen Mayo, 1952, 1957; E. J. Merewether, 1956; Ronald Millen, 1957, 1962, Date unknown; Godfrey Miller, 1948, 1950-1951, 1955, 1957-1958, 1962-1963, Date unknown; Hal Missingham, 1949, 1952, 1969, Date unknown; James Mollison, 1977; John D. Moore, 1956; Tom Inglis Moore, 1946-1947; Keith Murdoch, 1945-146; Vera Newsom, Date unknown; Pixie O'Harris, 1946; John Olsen, Date unknown; Desiderius Orban, 1956; Pamela Ovens (The Byram Sha School of Drawing and Painting, London), 1955; Renzo Padovan, 1957; Douglas Pike, 1963; Vivian Pitchforth, 1956, 1975?, 1979; Margaret Preston, 1956-1958, Date unknown; Thea Proctor, 1964, Date unknown; Joan Quincey, 1957; Lloyd Rees, 1951-1952, 1956, 1959, 1962-1964, 1966-1967, 1976; Robin Hood Committee of N.S.W., 1979; John Rowell, 1957, 1971; Royal Society of Arts (Great Britain), 1957; William A. Salmon, 1953, 1956-1957, 1963; Arnold Shore, 1950; Bernard Smith, 1960, 1972 (including photoprint of Douglas Dundas); Edward M. Smith, 1941; Grace Cossington Smith, 1973; Sydney Ure Smith, 1942; G. D. Snooks, 1974; Brian Stratton, 1971, 1974; Lucy Swanton, 1972; Joan Swinbourne, Date unknown; Jimmy Tait, 1971-1972; Daniel Thomas, 1954, 1960, Date unknown; Tom Thompson, 1957; Sybil Thorndike, Date unknown; Mike Thornhill, 1963; Ena Towndson, 1953; Frede Vidar, 1948; Roland Wakelin, 1946, 1950-1952; Storry Walton, 1963; Grace F. Ward, 1962, 1964, 1966; Guy Warren, 1960; B. J. Waterhouse, 1958; James Wieneke, 1961; and Neville Wran, 1976

1962-1965; 'Mr. Dundas - Private Correspondence. 20.', including correspondence while Head of the National Art School. Correspondents include John Brackenreg, Barry Gazzard, Tom Gleghorn, L. R. Gray, V. E. Greenhalgh, Mervyn Horton, Adrian Larkin (Institute of International Education), T. Boyd Law, Eileen Mayo and Douglas Pike (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/1/4)
193--1946; Letters received from Dorothy Thornhill (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/2/1)
1933-1934; Letters received from Dorothy Thornhill (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/2/2)
1934; Letters received from Dorothy Thornhill (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/2/3)
1941-1979; Letters received from Kerry Dundas (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/2/4)
1928-1930; Miscellaneous family correspondence, including letters (2) from Douglas Dundas to his mother, Fanny Dundas, and Aunt Bella, 1928, and letters received by Mrs E. B. Hawkins, 1930, mainly concerning Thomas Hanibal Rose (b. 1773) of Mt Gilead, Appin, N.S.W. (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/2/5)
ca. 1940-ca. 1980; Greeting cards, some jointly received with Dorothy Thornhill, from family and friends, including fellow artists (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/3)

B. Subject files, 1927-1973, Date unknown

'Australian painting 1900 to 1930', being MS. lecture (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/1)
1940-1944; 'Catalogues of Exhibitions, Us and Pals' at the Macquarie Galleries (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/2)
1930, Date unknown; 'Dorothy's Verse' (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/3)
1962-1963; [1963 Ford Foundation Study Tour], including correspondence with Harold Abbott, Australian National Advisory Committee for Unesco, British Council, Institute of International Education, and letter of introduction from Erik Langker (President, Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales) (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/4-5)
'Giotto / The Scrovegni Chapel at Padova', being MS. lecture (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/6)
1952-1955; 'International Association of Plastic Arts', including report by Douglas Dundas on the International Conference of Artists, Venice, 21-28 Sept. 1952, with papers concerning the Association and related letter received from the Australian National Advisory Committee for Unesco, 4 Mar. 1954 (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/7)
1933-1943; 'Macquarie Galleries', being mainly sales of paintings by Douglas Dundas and Dorothy Thornhill, with related letters received (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/8)
Miscellaneous material, including MS. biographical notes and newscutting of article by Douglas Dundas, 'Art in the Life of Man' in Navy, Nov. 1956 (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/9)
1973; '1973 - One Man Show', concerning solo exhibition at Artarmon Galleries, including letter received from Elizabeth Rooney and photoprint of Douglas Dundas by Kerry Dundas (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/10)
ca. 1930-1947; 'Photographs. D & D.', being photoprints of Douglas Dundas and Dorothy Thornhill, and newscuttings (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/11)
'Prints', mainly concerning French prints (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/12)
1951-1953; [Study Tour of Great Britain and Europe, 1952], including correspondence with the British Council (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/13)
1927-1965; 'S.T.C. Appointments Etc. / My Life at Tech.' mainly concerning his employment at Sydney Technical School and the National Art School (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/14)
'Sundry Lecture Notes To Be Sorted' (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/15)
193--[1941]; 'Wakelin Etc', being correspondence including letters received from Basil Burdett, 1940-1941; Norman Carter, 1939; L. Roy Davies, 1939; Lionel Lindsay, 1940; Keith A. Murdoch, 1940; and Roland Wakelin, Date unknown (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/4/16)

C. Organisational files, 1930-1979

Society of Artists, 1930-1970

1930-1937; Papers, including letters received from, among others, Vera Carruthers, Elioth Gruner, W. H. Ifould and Sydney Ure Smith, and minutes of meetings (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/5/1)
1949-1964; Papers, including letters received from, among others, George Bell, 1957; L. Kohlhagen, 1956; Daphne Mayo, 1956; Margaret Preston, 1956; Thea Proctor, 1955; Antonio Dattilo Rubbo, 1955; John Santry; R. H. Steuart, 1960; Tom Thompson, 1962; Roland Wakelin, Date unknown; and minutes of meetings (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/5/2)
1966, 1970; 'Marten Bequest', being letters received from Kent Brierley & Barraclough, Chartered Accountants, 1966, and Permanent Trustee Company of New South Wales Limited, 1966, 1970, concerning the estate of the late John Chisholm Marten and the Marten Bequest (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/5/3)

New South Wales Travelling Art Scholarship Committee, 1944-1968

1944-1968; Papers, including correspondence, reports and minutes of meetings (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/5/4)

Arts Council of Australia. New South Wales Division, 1945-1972

1945, 1948-1951; Minutes of Committee meetings with related papers (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/6/1)
1953-1972; Correspondence, reports and minutes of Committee meetings (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/6/2)
1961-1964; Correspondence, reports and minutes of Committee meetings, 1961-1964, with minutes of meeting of the Advisory Board of Education, 10 May 1962, and related papers (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/6/3)
1951-1966, Date unknown; Printed material, including Annual Report, 1955-57, 1963-64, 1966, and Constitution, 1951 (Call No.: MLMSS 7124/6/4)

Art Gallery of New South Wales, 1952-1979

1961-1964; Papers, being mainly minutes of Trustees' meetings (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/7/1)
1952-1979; Miscellaneous papers (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/7/2)

Australia. Postmaster-General's Dept. Stamp Advisory Committee, 1958-1975

1958-1961; Correspondence and minutes of meetings (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/7/3)
1961-1964; Correspondence and minutes of meetings (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/7/4)
1965-1975; Miscellaneous papers, including minutes of meetings (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/7/5)

D. Art exhibition and sales catalogues, 1923-1931 (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/7/6)

E. Invitations to art exhibitions, 1936-1980 (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/7/7)

F. Miscellaneous papers, 1927-1981

Include passport, 1927; appointment diaries, 1946, 1953; address book; general invitations; notebooks; notes for lectures and publications; National Art School memoranda; accounts and receipts; menus from S.S. Orontes, 1953; and autograph menu of farewell dinner to Sydney Ure Smith, Australia Hotel, Sydney, 4 Apr. 1933, signed by, among others, Julian Ashton, Will Ashton, Norman Carter, Douglas Dundas, Adrian Feint and Arthur Murch (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/8)

G. Newscuttings, 1915-1936, 1953-1977

Include scrapbook, 1915-1936 (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/9)

H. Printed material, 1903, 1928-1980 (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/9)

I. Photographs (12), ca. 1903-1972

Include photoprints of Douglas Dundas, 1972; Dorothy Thornhill, 193-; R. G. Dundas general store, Nullamanna, N.S.W., ca. 1914; and foundation stone ceremony for church at Inverell, N.S.W., 190- (Photographer: Walter E. Perroux, Byron Arcade, Inverell) (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/13X)

II.DOROTHY THORNHILL

A. Correspondence, 1933-1987, Date unknown

1933-ca. 1939; Letters received mainly from Harold Abbott, Jean Appleton, Dorothy M. Kennedy, Vera Newsom, John Santry ? and Mrs Thornhill (mother) (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/10/1)
1940-1987; Correspondents include Jean Appleton, 1946; Catherine Ardizzone, 1985; Art Gallery of New South Wales, 1982-1983; Earle Backen, 1982; Geoffrey Batchen (New England Regional Art Museum), 1983; Howard Beale, 1981; Peter Blayney, 1981; Basil Burdett, 1940; Edmund Capon, 1982-1983; Robert Emerson Curtis, 1981; David Jones Art Gallery, 1986-1987; Beth Dean Carrell, 1982; Gil Docking, 1982; Geoffrey Dutton, 1984; Eugene Goossens, 1950; Pat Graham, 1981; Jim Harvey (James Harvey Gallery, Newtown, N.S.W.), 1983; Christa E. Johannes (Fremantle Arts Centre), 1983; Dorothy M. Kennedy, 1958; Lou Klepac, 1986; Dorothy Knox, 1940; Maurice Lowe, 1981; Robin Lucas, 1984; Annette Macarthur-Onslow, 1985; Alison McMaugh, 1981-1982, 1985; Macquarie Galleries, 1969, 1978; Victor Mace, 1982, 1984; Elizabeth Manley (President, Royal South Australian Society of Arts), 1975; Mead & Beckett Publishing, 1984, 1986; E. J. Merewether, 1981; Vera Newsom, 1980, 1985; Robin Norling, 1981; Justin O'Brien, 1985, 1986?; Karin Oom, 1981; Queensland Art Gallery, 1982; William A. Salmon, 1981; Gordon Samuels, 1981; Mrs Thornhill (mother), 1948, 1958; Daniel Thomas, 1981; and Tom Thompson, 1962, 1985 (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/1O/2)
Date unknown; Undate letters received from, among others, Jean Appleton, Ruth Cook, Justin O'Brien and Mrs Thornhill (mother) (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/10/3)
1932-1934, Date unknown; Letters received from Douglas Dundas (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/11/1)

B. Art Gallery Society of New South Wales, 1954-1971

1954-1964; Papers, including correspondence and minutes of Council meetings (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/11/2)
1965-1966, 1971; Papers, being mainly minutes of Council meetings (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/11/3)

C. Miscellaneous papers, ca. 1930-1986

Include passport, 1933; notes and notebooks; drawings; financial papers; letters received (2) by her nephwe, Mike Thornhill, 1963, Date unknown; and papers concerning the Douglas Dundas Memorial Lecture, 1983, 1985 (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/12)

D. Newscuttings, 193--1985 (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/12)

E. Printed material, 1933-1986

Include art exhibition catalogues (Call No.: MLMSS 7214/12)

Author/Artist entries:
Abbott, Gwenda
Abbott, Harold, 1906-1986
Adley, Jim
Allen, L. H. (Leslie Holdsworth), b. 1879
Appleton, Jean, 1911-
Ardizzone, Catherine
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of New South Wales. Trustees
Arts Council of Australia. New South Wales Division
Astroshenko, Paul
Australia. Postmaster-General's Dept. Stamp Advisory Committee
Australian National Advisory Committee for Unesco
Backen, Earle, 1927-
Batchen, Geoffrey
Beadle, Paul, 1917-
Beale, Howard, Sir, 1898-1983
Beale, Margery
Beck, Frank
Bell, George, 1878-1966
Bellette, Jean, 1909-1991
Blayney, Peter, 1920-
Boxall, Arthur d'Auvergne, 1895-1944
Brackenreg, John
British Council
Burbridge, E. W.
Burdett, Basil, 1897-1942
Campbell, Robert, 1902-1972
Capon, Edmund
Carington Smith, Jack, 1908-1972
Carruthers, Vera
Carter, Norman, 1875-1963
Casey, Maie
Cassab, Judy, 1920-
Churchland, Lindsay, 1921-
Cilento, Margaret
Commonwealth Institute (Great Britain)
Connor, Joseph Thomas, 1874-1954
Cook, James, 1904-1960
Cook, Ruth
Cummings, R. P. (Robert Percy), 1900-
Curtis, Robert Emerson, 1898-1996
Dadswell, Lyndon, 1908-1986
Dattilo-Rubbo, Antonio, 1870-1955
David Jones' Art Gallery
Davies, Roy, 1897-1979
Dean, Beth
Dean, Colin
Docking, Gil, 1919-
Dray, Lucien
Dundas, Kerry
Dupain, Max, 1911-1992
Dutton, Geoffrey, 1922-1998
Dyring, Moya, 1908-1967
Eagle, Mary, 1944-
Esling, Gordon, 1897-
Feuerring, Maximilian, 1896-1986
Finey, George, 1895-1987
Fizelle, Rah, 1891-1964
Fleischmann, Arthur, 1896-1990
Gazzard, Barry
Gilliland, Hector, 1911-
Gleghorn, Thomas, 1925-
Goossens, Eugene, Sir, 1893-1962
Graham, Pat
Gray, L. R.
Greenhalgh, V. E.
Griffiths, Harley, 1908-
Gruner, Elioth, 1882-1939
Harvey, Jim
Hawkins, Weaver, 1893-1977
Heffron R. J. (Robert James), 1890-1978
Helmrich, Dorothy, 1889-
Horton, Mervyn, 1917-1983
Ifould, W. H. (William Herbert), 1877-1969
Institute of International Education (New York, N.Y.)
International Association of Plastic Arts
James, R. Haughton (Richard Haughton)
Johannes, Christa E.
Johnstone, Brian
Kennedy, Dorothy M.
Kestelman, Morris
Kilgour, J. Noel (Jack Noel), 1900-1987
Klepac, Lou, 1936-
Knox, Dorothy, 1902-
Kohlhagen, Lisette
Kramer, Eileen, 1914-1924
Kraus, Hilde
Langker, Erik, Sir, 1899-1982
Larkin, Adrian
Law, T. Boyd
Leydin, Arthur
Lindsay, Daryl, 1890-1976
Lindsay, Lionel, Sir, 1874-1961
Lowe, Maurice C.
Lucas, Robin, 1947-
Macarthur-Onslow, Annette, 1933-
Mace, Victor
McEacharn, Sheila Margaret
McGregor, James R., Sir, 1889-1973
McKay, Barbara
McMaugh, Alison
Macquarie Galleries
Manley, Elizabeth
Mayo, Eileen, 1906-1994
Mead and Beckett Publishing
Merewether, E. J. (Edward John)
Millen, Ronald
Miller, Godfrey, 1893-1964
Missingham, Hal, 1906-1994
Mollison, James, 1932-
Moore, John D., 1888-1958
Moore, T. Inglis (Tom Inglis), 1901-1978
Murdoch, Keith Arthur, Sir, 1885-1952
New South Wales Travelling Art Scholarship Committee
Newsom, Vera, 1912-
Norling, Robin
O'Brien, Justin, 1917-
O'Harris, Pixie, 1903-1991
Oom, Karin, 1933-
Orban, Desiderius, 1884-1986
Ovens, Pamela
Padovan, Renzo, 1913-
Permanent Trustee Company Limited
Pike, Douglas, 1908-1974
Pitchforth, Vivian
Preston, Margaret, 1875-1963
Proctor, Thea, 1879-1966
Queensland Art Gallery
Quincey, Joan
Rees, Lloyd, 1895-1988
Robin Hood Committee of N.S.W.
Rooney, Elizabeth, 1929-
Rowell, John, 1894-1973
Royal Society of Arts (Great Britain)
Royal South Australian Society of Arts
Salmon, William A., 1928-
Samuels, Gordon Jacob, 1923-
Santry, John, 1910-
Shore, Arnold, 1897-1973
Smith, Bernard, 1916-
Smith, Edward M., 1883-
Smith, Grace Cossington, 1892-1984
Smith, Sydney Ure, 1887-1949
Snooks, G. D. (Graeme Donald)
Society of Artists (Sydney, N.S.W.)
Steuart, Ronald, 1960-
Stratton, Brian, 1936-
Swinbourne, Joan
Tait, Jimmy
Thomas, Daniel, 1931-
Thompson, Tom, 1923-
Thorndike, Sybil, Dame, 1882-1976
Thornhill, Mike, 1941-
Towndson, Ena
Vidar, Frede, 1911-
Walton, Storry
Ward, Grace F.
Warren, Guy, 1921-
Waterhouse, Bertrand James, 1876-1965
Wieneke, James
Wran, Neville, 1926-

Copyright status:: In copyright
Copyright holder:: John Kerry Dundas
Research & study copies allowed:
Rights and Restrictions Information:: On behalf of Kerry Dundas, the State Library of New South Wales is authorised to approve reproduction of this collection, for publication, without further consultation.
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy Kerry Dundas