Cartoonists
The John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library acknowledges the important contribution of the cartoons included in this educational web resource - both in adding graphical interest to the text and in illuminating and intepreting the contemporary political events covered.
The work of the following artists is gratefully acknowledged:
Ted Scorfield
Born Northumberland, England, 1882, died Mosman, New South Wales 1965
Edward Scafe Scorfield served in the Royal Engineers during World War One, serving at Gallipoli, Salonika, Greece and Palestine. After the war, he began drawing cartoons for the Newcastle Weekly Chronicle before coming to Australia to work for the Bulletin as a cartoonist and illustrator in 1925. His cartoons followed the Bulletin line of the time, combining Australian nationalism and British conservatism. In World War Two, Scorfield's cartoons 'lionised the Digger, exalted the Allies against the Japanese, and lampooned black-marketeers, strikers and white feather conchies.' Scorfield stayed with the Bulletin until 1961.
Information from biography of Ted Scorfield by Peter Coleman in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 16, pp 197-8
John Frith
Born London, c1906, died Melbourne, Victoria, 2000
John Frith came to Australia in the midst of the Depression years. He drew cartoons for the Bulletin (c1929–44), becoming principal caricaturist and co-art editor with Ted Scorfield. In 1944, the Sydney Morning Herald decided to feature a daily cartoon and Frith took on the job, working with the paper until 1950. In 1950 Keith Murdoch invited Frith to join the Melbourne Herald where he worked for the next 18 years. He retired in 1969 but continued to draw cartoons and produce other works right up until his death in 2000. His cartoons are powerful, witty and insightful. He was also a skilled caricaturist, a sculptor and a colourful raconteur.
Information from obituary of John Frith by Ned Wallish in the Age, 7 November 2000
Samuel Wells
Born Victoria 1885, died Victoria 1964
Wells joined the staff of Melbourne Punch
after World War One and later he worked for the Melbourne
Herald drawing sporting cartoons. In about 1923 he put out a
book of cartoons based on his work at the Herald
called Wells Cartoons. In the
early 1930s he was involved in the drawing of the Ben Bowyang comic. Wells
left the Herald in 1933 to work in England
on the Daily Dispatch in Manchester but returned
to the Herald in 1939 to take on the job of
principal political cartoonist, a position he held until 1950. Wells then
took a job drawing sporting cartoons for The Age.
He died in 1964. He also had cartoons published in the Newcastle Herald.
Information courtesy Lindsay Foyle, Australian
Cartoonists' Association