Stephen Walker (1927 – 16 June 2014) was an Australian sculptor who was made a member of the Order of Australia in 1985.[1] In 2011, he was inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame.[2]
Early life
editWalker was born in Balwyn[3] or Colac,[4] Victoria in Australia in 1927.[5] He left school at age 13[4] but attended Melbourne Teachers' College from 1945 to 1947[3] before moving to Hobart in 1948.[6] In the 1950s he repeatedly traveled to Europe, studying sculpting under Henry Moore[4] from 1954 to 1956 and visiting Rome, Florence and Prague through scholarships.[3] On his return to Australia he settled in Tasmania.[6]
Work
editTank_Stream_Fountain_at_Circular_Quay.jpg)
Walker mainly created bronze sculptures, including the Tank Stream Fountain (1981) in Herald Square near Circular Quay, Sydney and a memorial for Antarctic explorer Louis Bernacchi at Hobart's Victoria Dock.[4] His statues were designed to be usable, for example by strengthening them so people could sit on them. Four of his works are included in the National Heritage Register.[7] Much of his work was inspired by nature and by Antarctica,[6] a continent he visited twice in the 1980s via the Australian Antarctic Division's Humanities Program.[3]
Walker also created medals, including the Royal Society of Tasmania's Joseph Banks Memorial Lecture medal. The Museum Victoria noted his excellence in design.[5] In 1985 Walker was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia "for service to sculpture".[7][8]
Personal life and death
editWalker had two children. He died in Hobart on 16 June 2014 of a lung infection.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Gazette: S17: Australia Day 1985 Honours" (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia. 26 January 1985. p. 4. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "Previous Winners". Music Victoria. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Stephen Walker 1984-85, 1986-87". Australian Antarctic Division. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Howard, Jessica (20 June 2014). "Celebrated Tasmanian artist Stephen Walker dies at age 86". The Mercury.
- ^ a b "Stephen Walker, Sculptor (1927–?)". Museum Victoria. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- ^ a b c Raabus, Carol; Wisbey, Chris (29 July 2013). "Stephen Walker's mark on Tasmania". ABC.
- ^ a b "Stephen Walker, celebrated Tasmanian sculptor, dies aged 86". ABC. 19 June 2014.
- ^ Member of the Order of Australia (AM), 26 January 1985, It's an Honour