George Collingridge | |
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.jpg) George Collingridge, c.1886 | |
| Born | George Alphonse Collingridge de Tourcey (1847-10-29)29 October 1847 |
| Died | 1 June 1931(1931-06-01) (aged 83) |
| Resting place | Field of Mars Cemetery |
| Occupations | Writer, illustrator, art teacher |
| Known for | Early theory ofPortuguese discovery of Australia |
| Notable work | The Discovery of Australia (1895) |
| Relatives | Vanessa Collingridge (distant relative) |
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George Alphonse Collingridge de Tourcey (he rarely used 'de Tourcey') (29 October 1847 – 1 June 1931) was an Australian writer and illustrator best known today for his early assertions ofPortuguese discovery of Australia in the 16th century.
He was born inOxfordshire,England, educated inParis (in the15th arrondissement), served in thePapal Zouaves (alongside his brother Alfred, who died in theBattle of Mentana), and migrated to Australia in 1879 aboard theLusitania (not theship of the same name that sank in 1915). He settled in the then isolated area ofBerowra, before moving to nearbyHornsby, New South Wales.
Since his French academic qualifications as a "Professeur" were not recognised by Australian universities, he worked as an artist and art teacher, and contributed drawings and articles to local newspapers.[1] He founded the first Australian art magazine,Australian Art: a Monthly Magazine & Journal, and with his brother, Arthur Collingridge (1853 – 1907), was one of the founders of theRoyal Art Society of New South Wales.[2][3]
His publication ofThe Discovery of Australia in 1895 earned him accolade as a "genius" and as "an authority on geographical matters" from members of theRoyal Geographical Society as well as foreign honours: in 1908 he was created a Knight Commander of the Order of Santiago by the King ofPortugal. In 1917 he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of Isabella la Catolica by the King ofSpain. However, not everyone was as complimentary; his official biographer, O.H.K. Spate, described him as of "undisciplined intellect" and lacking a "rigorously judicial habit of mind"; the book was a financial failure; and a proposed scheme to use a simplified version of the book,The First Discovery of Australia and New Guinea (1906), in schools was withdrawn.[4]
Collingridge published "Alice in One Dear Land" in 1922. It is a handmade book with numerous small tipped in plates. Alice is depicted in the Australian bush with a koala, this is the first depiction of "Alice in Wonderland" in an Australian setting.
Collingridge's distant relative,Vanessa Collingridge, published a book onCaptain Cook, entitledCaptain Cook (2002), and the publication of this book has caused a certain resurgence of interest in George Collingridge in recent years.
He died at Berowra on 1 June 1931 and was buried at Field of Mars Cemetery.[5]
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