Lucy M. Dennis (née Oliver)

It was in 1937 at the age of 13 that I started my nearly three years’ study at the Girls Central Art School. Previously I had spent a year at Woodville High. Around this time I went to private art class with a class mate whose grandfather taught oil painting and pastel locally in Largs Bay where we lived. Two of the five students at that time were Victor Adolfsson and Harry Bowshall. Victor later went on to be a senior art teacher with the department and also an exhibiting fine artist and Fellow of the Royal SA Society of Arts. Harry Bowshall became a panoramic artist at the SA Museum.

This experience was of benefit when we went to interview Miss Good in regard to entering the GCAS. In those days one year or less meant entry into the preparatory, where we started at nine in the morning instead of half an hour later as in first year. We had rhythm and folk dancing at the rear of the Exhibition Building, but only in that year. We also could sit for three of the exams – plant drawing I, object drawing I and freehand drawing I. If passed, we went on in first year to grade II in these subjects.

First year was for people with two or more years in secondary school so there was quite a difference in age between us. We had a large variety of subjects and many of them and they were all slanted towards art. In place of science as such we had botany, which meshed in with plant drawing. History of art and architecture with Miss Mary Harris in place of history. Instead of arithmetic or maths, we had solid and plane geometry with Mr Allan Sierp. And didn’t that come in handy when I was relieving at boys’ techs! We also had English, with Miss Lorna Lee and then Miss Harris, and freehand with Miss Casely. Botany was with Miss Lois Laughton and needlework was with Miss Beryl Morris who also taught us rhythm. Clay modelling was Miss Jessamine Buxton’s province as was still life in oils in second year.

We didn’t wear school uniforms as such and could wear whatever we liked to school, within reason naturally, but we had smocks which were worn at school and the choice of colours was up to our own individual taste. There were two patterns and six colours. One could have all one colour or contrasting colour. The colours were flame, apricot, leaf green, light stone, brown and daffodil. These were worn all day except for clay work or oil painting. It was a very good idea. The idea of the freedom we had there was based on the belief that small classes and reliance on personal responsibility was more conducive to nurturing any talent that might lie dormant within our souls, and nurtured it was. Ex-students have said in later years how it was the influence of this school that has lasted throughout life.

The surroundings were in tune with us too. In those days we entered the school by the eastern steps next to the School of Mines and Adelaide Tech High. The graceful old grey Exhibition Building, the ivy on the walls, the bright patches of garden, cannas and the like and the lawn trees on North Terrace all added to the atmosphere.

When there were events of special interest, we were taken to them and could bring our mothers with us. In those depression days the chance to see Ruth Draper would otherwise have not been possible. But as a school outing we went and my mother came too. This event I have never forgotten. Ruth Draper was a monologist, as was Joyce Grenfell to whom she is closely related. Another time we went to the film ‘Rembrandt’ with Charles Laughton as the great artist and there were other outings to the museum, art gallery, and the botanical gardens. These were events which inculcated a love of theatre and appreciation of other aspects of theatre such as decor, lighting and costume design.

Of course being young we did get up to occasional harmless mischief but Miss Good was a very understanding head, and knew how to deal kindly but firmly with such pranks. Later, when I was a secondary school teacher myself, the students were most puzzled to understand how I knew just what they were up to – I didn’t say I got up to these high jinks in my own school days.

The old gallery and main halls were not much used until just before the war, a male quartet came there to rehearse – they were German – the Comedy Harmonists and they let us listen to them and sang for us and gave autographs. We were thrilled to bits – they were very handsome! As the old gallery was unsafe and it was dark and creepy, we were forbidden to go there but I think everybody made a trip to see what it was like – we invented a Ghost of the Gallery too.

For a short time the main halls were turned into a roller-skating rink and we were allowed to skate in our lunch time. I can’t imagine any other school allowing such goings on. As the rink was open to the public, older employees from the local stores and offices would be there in droves.

As there were very few jobs around when I left in the September holidays, I went into a picture framing factory and later photo colouring at this place. I went to night school to do ticket and show card writing. This on top of 50 hours a week work but I didn’t mind and I did the show cards for the factory-shop-studio too. From the night school I got a much better job at Moore’s⁶⁶ as a junior, then on to Cox Bros in Rundle Street.

Off to the army for four years as a wireless operator and, when I came back from New Guinea, back to Cox Bros and to the art school at night. By this time I was a display artist at Cox Bros and we needed a junior. A 16 year old came straight from the Girls Central Art School and worked for me until I went to England in 1951. While in London I studied life drawing at St. Martin’s Art School. Before that I had gone to Gwen Barringer’s water colour classes and had joined the Royal SA Society of Arts.

Among our members you will find many ex-GCAS people. My junior at Cox Bros, still a close friend, is a fine water colourist who had exhibited for many years. Many of those who attended went into allied professions – draughtsmanship, photo retouching, display art in stores and shops as well as art teaching and as practising artists when not earning money doing other work.

I also went to Stanley Street for sculpture and lithography. I feel, as most of us do, that we were fortunate to go to the GCAS and that this influence never withers but grows. I will always be thankful that I had this opportunity to go there in what was most likely its heyday. It is something I can never forget.

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