14 Facts About Walter Withers

Walter Herbert Withers was an English-born Australian landscape artist and a member of the Heidelberg School of Australian impressionists.

Walter Withers showed an early desire to paint, but objection was made to this by his father.

In 1887, Walter Withers went to Europe, and there he married Fanny Flinn in October of that year.

Walter Withers returned to Australia with his wife in June 1888 having been commissioned to do black and white work for Messrs Fergusson and Mitchell of Melbourne.

Walter Withers settled down at first at Kew, a suburb of Melbourne, and then in Eaglemont on the other side of the river Yarra.

Walter Withers became friendly with Arthur Streeton, Charles Conder, Tom Roberts, Frederick McCubbin and other leading artists of the period.

Walter Withers began to sell a few pictures, but the collapse of the land boom put an end to his illustrative work.

Walter Withers obtained some work as a drawing and painting master in schools, and amongst those who were his pupils were Percy Lindsay, and his younger brother Norman Lindsay.

From 1894, Walter Withers spent the next four years in a cottage in Cape Street, Heidelberg, Victoria.

Walter Withers settled down to a steady career of painting though not at first successful commercially.

Walter Withers was elected to the council of the Victorian Artists Society in 1889, and in 1905 held the office of president for a year.

Walter Withers's health was deteriorating towards the end of his life but he continued to do a large amount of painting both in oils and in watercolours.

Walter Withers died in Eltham, Victoria, on 13 October 1914 and was outlived by his wife and four children, including Margery Withers, who was a painter.

Walter Withers was buried at the Anglican Church of Saint Helena.