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George Henry Allen (8 February 1900 – 12 October 1972)[1] was an Australian sculptor and teacher, an official war artist in the latter years of the Second World War.
History
Allen was born in Kangaroo Flat, Bendigo, a son of George Edward Romeo Allen and his wife Emma Maria "Annie" Allen, née Schutt.
He was educated at Bendigo Junior Technical School and in 1917 won a scholarship for training as an industrial art teacher.[2] and studied at Caulfield Technical School,[3] and Swinburne Technical College[4]
In 1933 he succeeded John S. Davie[a] (1862–1955) as head of the Modelling and Sculpture Department at the Working Men's College, Melbourne, which in 1934 became the Melbourne Technical College,[1] which became RMIT, from which he retired in 1965.[4]
He served as an official war artist with the rank of lieutenant from December 1943, working at Port Moresby and the Australian War Memorial, retired February 1945.[1]
Works
- War memorial near Shrine of Remembrance (1949)[4]
- In 1952 he won a design contest worth £3,000, a bequest from Ballarat solicitor Willian Pinkerton. The statue, unveiled in 1952, aroused some controversy.[7]
- War memorial, Kew Town Hall (1952)[4]
- Australian War Memorial (1954)[4]
- Bronze relief portraits mounted on stone wall, installed in namesake Canberra suburbs:
- Chifley Memorial (Joseph Benedict Chifley), Chifley shopping centre, commissioned by the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) 1968, installed 1969
- Curtin Memorial (John Joseph Curtin), Curtin shopping centre, shopping centre, commissioned by NCDC 1968, installed 1969
- Hughes Memorial (William Morris Hughes), Hughes shopping centre, commissioned by NCDC 1964, installed 1964
- Lyons Memorial (Joseph Aloysius Lyons), Lyons shopping centre, commissioned by NCDC 1968, installed 1969[8]
Recognition
- In 1954 he was awarded the Queen's Coronation Medal.[9]
Family
Allen married Ethel Maud Turner. They had a home at 10 Ruabon Road, Toorak, Victoria.[1]
Notes
- ^ Davie, a Scotsman, is best known for his statue of Robert Burns in Canberra.[5][6] He was the subject of an Archibald Prize painting by Amalie Colquhoun.
References
- ^ a b c d "Attestation Form: Allen, George Henry". Australian Military Forces. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- ^ "Technical Education". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 22, 013. Victoria, Australia. 15 February 1917. p. 5. Retrieved 16 June 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Technical Schools". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 24, 201. Victoria, Australia. 29 February 1924. p. 6. Retrieved 16 June 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b c d e Alan McCulloch (1984). Encyclopedia of Australian Art. ISBN 009148300X.
- ^ "Memories". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 32, 573. Victoria, Australia. 25 January 1951. p. 6. Retrieved 16 June 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Burns Statue for Canberra". The Herald (Melbourne). No. 17, 749. Victoria, Australia. 5 April 1934. p. 8. Retrieved 16 June 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "An 8-ton statue puzzles Ballarat". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 33, 111. Victoria, Australia. 17 October 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 15 June 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Works of art in Canberra. National Capital Development Commission (NCDC). 1980. pp. 1–2. ISBN 064289892.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: length (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ "Coronation Medals from the Queen". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 33, 305. Victoria, Australia. 2 June 1953. p. 13. Retrieved 16 June 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
