Phyllis Shillito (1895-1980), designer and teacher, grew up in Yorkshire and trained and taught at Halifax Technical School before moving to teach design, craft and principles of art at Winchester School of Art and Liverpool City School of Art. In 1923 she sailed to Brisbane with her parents; she stayed there, teaching part-time, until 1925, when she gained a job at the Sydney Technical College, Darlinghurst (which became East Sydney Technical College in 1935). While continuing with her own watercolours, illustrations and bookplates – she was an Archibald and Wynne finalist several times, and collaborated on illustration with May Wall, author of Blinky Bill - she established the college’s diploma of design and crafts, which covered a great variety of subjects by the 1940s. Shillito was promoted several times over the 1940s and 1950s, until by 1958 she was acting head of the school of women’s handicrafts. For years, she wrote and spoke about design in all kinds of forums including the ABC television program Woman’s World. Having retired from the Tech in 1960, she opened the Shillito Design School in Grosvenor Street in 1962. The Art Gallery of New South Wales has one of her watercolours.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Danina Anderson, daughter of Max Dupain 2017
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program
© Max Dupain/Copyright Agency, 2021
Danina Anderson (34 portraits)
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves: who we read, who we watch, who we listen to, who we cheer for, who we aspire to be, and who we'll never forget. The Companion is available to buy online and in the Portrait Gallery Store.
Johanna McMahon revels in history and mystery in pursuit of a suite of unknown portrait subjects.
Gael Newton delves into the life and art of renowned Australian photographer, Max Dupain.
