Chronology

Bernice Agar 1885-1976, *Miss Ethel Spowers* 1926
reproduced from *The Evening News*, Sydney, 1926

11 July 1890, Ethel Spowers born
May 1905, at age 14, Spowers entered a pictorial postcard competition and received an honourable mention
1908, became school prefect and matriculated Melbourne’s Church of England Girls’ Grammar School
May 1909, arrived in England with her family, initially staying in Plymouth, then visits Surrey and other destinations
Early 1910, studied at the Académie Delécluse, Paris
May 1910, returns with her family to Australia
November 1910, debut
1911-1917, Attended Melbourne’s National Gallery School completing the full course in drawing and painting at Melbourne’s National Gallery School
November 1918, first work acquired by a public art gallery/museum. ‘The Kite’ (1918), Art Gallery of New South Wales (then National Art Gallery of New South Wales), Sydney
June 1920, first solo exhibition held at Decoration Galleries, Melbourne
1921, travelled to Europe and continued her artistic studies at the Regent Street Polytechnic, London, and at the Académie Rauson, Paris
October 1921, first overseas exhibition held at the Macrae Gallery, London with fellow Australian artist Mary Reynolds
1921, ‘Arrows of Longing’ published, poetry by Furnley Maurice, illustrations by Ethel Spowers
February 1923, Ethel Spowers and Eveline Syme attended the Académie de la Grande Chaumière art school in Paris
December 1923, Spowers working in London
March 1925, Ethel Spowers and Eveline Syme go on a sketching trip to Harkaway then a semi-rural area outside of Melbourne
1926, publication of Adam Lindsay Gordon Memorial Volume illustrated by Spowers
February 1927, Ethel Spowers and Eveline Syme holiday at Port Arthur, Tasmania, leading to the creation of ‘The Guard House, Port Arthur’, ‘The Island of the Dead’, and ‘The Island of the Dead, Tasmania’
April 1928, Spowers sets sail for London
August 1928, Begins studies at the Grosvenor School of Art, London
June 1929, Ethel Spowers commences her return to Australia, arriving Melbourne by mid July
July-August 1930, first work acquired by an international public art gallery/museum. Impressions of ‘Wet Afternoon’ 1929 acquired by the British Museum, London and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
January 1931, Spowers travels to London returning a year later
March 1934, Spowers travels to London via Java, Indonesia
March 1935, Completes her journey to Melbourne via Perth and Adelaide after visits to Europe including Russia
circa 1935, Ethel taught at Swinburne Technical College, Melbourne
July 1936, Spowers is again in London
December 1936, returned to Melbourne
January 1937, Spowers purchases an Oldsmobile ‘Flying 12’ saloon in suede green
October 1937, Spowers hosts a party to farewell Syme who heads to Europe
August 1938, Ethel Spowers encourages Helen Ogilvie to paint the interior of an ambulance specially fitted out for children being transported to and from the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne
1941, publication of ‘The Story of the Red Cross’ written by Joan Lindsay and Daryl Lindsay, including an offset-lithograph of a linocut by Spowers
August 1946, Spowers designed the exhibition catalogue to accompany a Chinese art exhibition held at the Myer Mural Hall gallery, Melbourne
Circa 1947, ‘Cuthbert and the Dogs’ written and illustrated by Ethel Spowers published
5 May 1947, Ethel Spowers passed away at St Ives Private Hospital, East Melbourne from secondary cancers related to breast cancer
September 1948, Memorial Exhibition held
November 2012, Gust of Wind is the first work by the artist to sell for over AUD$100,000 and achieved an artist auction record at Bonhams, London selling for GBP£114,050 (AUD$174,702) including buyer’s premium
August 2021, Spowers & Syme, a National Gallery of Australia, Canberra touring exhibition celebrating the life and work of the artists Ethel Spowers and Eveline Syme opens at Canberra Museum and Art Gallery, Canberra