Coral Nerelle, artist, photographs and newspaper clippings, ca. 1938-1950

PXB 662

fonds

ca. 1938-1950

Graphic Materials, Textual Records, Photographs, Clippings

1017301

4 photographic prints - gelatin silver - 10.7 x 14.7 cm or smaller
2 clippings - newspaper, copy

Coral Nerelle J.H.A.M.I., A.R.W.A. (Mrs Coral E.M. Bill) was born in Sydney
She trained under G. Rayner Hoff at Sydney College of Art. During the war she volunteered for the RAAF and was assigned to the staff of General Douglas Macarthur, preparing coloured maps for the bombers. About three years later, she helped in the plastic surgery section of the military hospital, using her training in sculpture to design new noses, ears and jaws for the wounded. She also drew the new plastic surgery techniques.
In 1946 Nerelle went to the United States for three years of medical training at Johns Hopkins University, studying with Stanislav Remsky. She joined the McGuire staff in 1947, drawing for the surgical team. Congress passed a bill granting her permanent US residency. She lived in Richmond, Virginia for about ten years.
She married Major John Bill R.W.A. landscape painter and Cotswald art teacher and they lived in Northleach, Gloucestershire from 1965. Her obituary in the unnamed Northleach paper is dated 7 March 1986.
Her paintings hang in Westminster Abbey, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Melbourne, John Hopkins University, the Royal West of England Academy and the W.D. and H.O. Wills works gallery, Bristol (she painted [later drawing] employees as they left the firm). Her works also hang in private galleries and collections in the UK and USA.

Reference:
From two newspaper clippings on the Library correspondence file, "Congress grants a permanent visa to girl because of unusual talent for illustration", Richmond Times, ca. 1947; and a Northleach paper dated 7 March 1986

PHOTOGRAPHS
1. Isabel & Coral taken in King Street / [street photograph by] Mac's Photo Service
2. Nerelle in RAAF uniform at her desk
3. RAAF Command Camp, Brisbane, Australia, 15 December 1944
4. Nerelle and her Johns Hopkins University colleagues

CLIPPINGS
5-6. Newspaper clippings

Out of copyright: Created before 1955
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales