Yellow House - Sutherland

Jane Sutherland (1853-1928), painter and teacher, was born on 26 December 1853 in New York, eldest daughter of George Sutherland, woodcarver, and his wife Jane, née Smith, both Scottish born. The family arrived in Sydney in 1864 and moved to Melbourne in 1870 where George became a drawing instructor with the Department of Education and exhibited with the Victorian Academy of Arts (1875-78). He was joined by his brothers, Alexander and John, and the Sutherlands played a distinguished role in science, education and the arts; Alexander, George and William were Jane's brothers.

At the National Gallery School of Design Jane studied under Thomas Clark in 1871-75, O. R. Campbell in 1877-81 and Frederick McCubbin in 1886. She attended the school of painting in 1877 under Eugen von Guerard and in 1882-85 under George Folingsby. In October 1883 she was awarded the Robert Wallen prize of five guineas at the annual students' exhibition. She exhibited in 1878 with the Victorian Academy of Arts, then with the Australian Artists' Association, and with the Victorian Artists' Society (formed 1888) until 1911. From 1888 she shared a studio with Clara Southern in Grosvenor Chambers, Collins Street, where Tom Roberts also had a studio. She was a councillor (1900) of the V.A.S. (Victorian Art Society). In 1899, 1903 and 1906 she sent paintings to the federal exhibitions at the South Australian Society of Arts, and in 1907 to the Australian Exhibition of Women's Work in Melbourne.

Sutherland was the leading female artist in the group of Melbourne painters who broke with the nineteenth-century tradition of studio art by sketching and painting directly from nature. She accompanied artists such as Roberts, McCubbin and Walter Withers on plein-air sketching trips to the outlying rural districts of Alphington, Templestowe and Box Hill. Her lyrical landscapes—such as 'The Mushroom Gatherers' (c.1895) and 'Field Naturalists' (c.1896)—are often the setting for women engaged in rural activities, or for children at play.

About 1904 Jeannie Sutherland suffered a mild stroke. Thereafter her younger brother William helped her to move around and she continued to produce small works in oils and pastel, including a number of landscape views of the Yarra River at Kew and Abbotsford. Assisted by her cousin and fellow artist Jean Goodlet Sutherland, she also exhibited and gave art lessons. William's death in 1911 unfortunately brought an end to her mobility and to her career. She died on 25 July 1928 at her Kew home and was buried in the Presbyterian section of Box Hill cemetery.

Green House - Ibbott

Nellie Grace Ibbott (1889-1970), was born at Leyton, Essex, England, she was the daughter of John Charles Pugh, printing machine manager, and Ellen Beatrice. She then married Alfred Thomas Ibbott, a piano-maker, in 1914. Nellie and Alfred lived happily together without children. They both moved to Australia in 1923. In 1928 Nellie participated in her first election to fill a vacancy in the Ivanhoe Riding of the Heidelberg Shire Council, she narrowly defeated her male opponent and became the first woman on the council. Nellie also went on to serve as the first woman in Victoria to hold mayoral office in 1943-44 for the city of Heidelberg.

Nellie worked hard to improve conditions in our area; she focused on such matters as unemployment, health, increased police protection, improved railway stations and better bus services. She was also responsible for establishing the Heidelberg Benevolent Society. During her time on the council, more emphasis was placed on community services. Councillor Ibbott also encouraged the arts in the City of Heidelberg. After twenty-two years of service, she was defeated in the elections in 1950. Nellie was known as strong debater in the council chamber and she believed that if men and women worked together they could achieve anything.

Sadly, Nellie passed away in 1970 and fourteen years later a local park in Livingstone Street, Ivanhoe, was named after her due to her influence on the area. In 1991, a room was also named after her in the Civic Centre Precinct.

Blue House - Conder

Charles Edward Conder, or K as he was known to his friends, was born on the 24th October 1868 in London. He spent several years as a young child in India before the death of his mother in 1873 when he was sent back to England and attended a number of schools. He left school at the age of 15 when his very religious, non-artistic father, who was against Charles’s natural artistic inclinations, decided that he should become a civil engineer.

Accordingly in 1884 at the age of 17 Charles was sent to Sydney, Australia where he worked for his uncle who was a land surveyor for the New South Wales government. However Charles disliked the work, much preferring to draw the landscape rather than survey it. In 1886, he left the job and became an artist for the ‘Illustrated Sydney News.” He also attended painting classes and joined the Art Society of New South Wales. Conder met artist Tom Roberts in Sydney in March 1888. Roberts encouraged Conder to visit Melbourne and in the spring of 1888, Conder painted with Roberts at their Box Hill camp. Conder spent the following summer of 1888-89 at the Eaglemont artist’s camp with Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Fredrick McCubbin and several other early Australian painters. These first camps marked the beginning of what came to be called The Heidelberg School. It was during this year that Conder painted one of his most acclaimed paintings, ‘A Holiday At Mentone.’

In 1890, an uncle provided him with the means to study in Paris for two years. He left Melbourne and travelled to Paris where he came under the influence of the Impressionist painter Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, who later painted Conder’s portrait. On 5th December 1900 Conder married Stella Maris Belford, a Canadian, and for the next 6 years lived in London. He died at Virginia Water, in Surrey, England on the 9th April 1909. Conder’s works capturing the natural beauty of local areas around Heidelberg have won international acclaim. Ivanhoe Primary’s Blue House have chosen to honour his significant contribution to the art world by  perpetuating his name as our House namesake.

Red House - McCubbin

Frederick McCubbin was an Australian painter and art teacher. He was born in Melbourne on the 25th February 1855. When he was 14 he joined the family bakery business and was later apprenticed to a coach-painter. In 1869, McCubbin enrolled at the Artisans' School of Design, Carlton, and later studied drawing under Thomas Clark at the School Of Design, National Gallery of Victoria. He sold his first painting in 1880 and over the next few years, McCubbin’s work seemed to attract a lot of attention. He won a number of prizes and had a number of exhibitions around Melbourne.

In 1885, McCubbin went on painting trips with his friend, Tom Roberts, camping at Housten's farm at Box Hill, at Mentone on Port Phillip Bay and later in the Heidelberg area. Here he was joined by Arthur Streeton, Charles Conder and others. These first camps marked the beginning of what came to be called The Heidelberg School. For the remaining years of his life, Mccubbin spent his time painting close to his home in South Yarra. He painted pictures of the Yarra River, as well as occasionally painting coastal and dockland scenes in the vicinity of Melbourne. McCubbin died in 1917.

Frederick McCubbin’s influential work in the Heidelberg area make him an ideal choice as the name sake of our Red House.

Upcoming Events

15 Apr 2024
Term 2 begins
25 Apr 2024
ANZAC Day - public holiday
26 Apr 2024
Curriculum Day - Students do not attend this day

From The Principal