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Artist, Edward Bevan

Edward Bevan (1854-1898) was a writer, editor, painter, illustrator, surveyor, fruitgrower and inventor. Born in the UK in 1854, he arrived in Australia during the late 1870s and worked in Townsville as a surveyor and engineer after his marriage to Marian Elizabeth Dye in 1879. Brother, Walter was a lawyer and later, a judge.
Bevan moved to Sydney in about 1888 to work for the Illustrated Sydney News, which he later also edited. He became well-known for his beautifully illustrated short stories, often published as serials. His melodramatic tales were full of adventure. He also featured a series on ‘Types of Australian Life.’ His ‘portrait’ of the stockman appeared in February 1889.[1]

‘The Stockman’
Illustrated Sydney News 7 February 1889 p.16

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63621451

The family settled at Dunholme, at 7 Vernon Street Strathfield. Dunholme had been offered for sale in 1888 as ‘a choice cottage residence, thoroughly well built of weatherboard, lath and plaster finish, cornices in principal rooms, attics match boarded, containing hall 6ft wide, drawing and dining rooms, 5 bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, scullery, laundry and workshop, verandahs front and back; Louvre shutters fitted to all rooms; gas laid on, in fact every possible convenience.’[2]

‘The land, 100ft. frontage by 200ft in depth, is well and tastefully laid out in garden and shrubbery, with bushhouse, all flowers and shrubs select in kind, and well grown.’[3]

Dunholme7 Vernon Street, Strathfield, 5 December 2022. Courtesy Strathfield Local Studies

The Bevan family was in residence by late 1890 as Edward and Marian’s youngest son was born there during November 1890.[4] In early October Edward had commenced teaching art classes at the ‘Homebush Council Chambers.'[5] However as Homebush Council did not exist at this time it seems likely that the classes were held at the Strathfield Council Chambers, just a short walk from his home.

This was a busy time in his professional career. Bevan was a friend and contemporary of artist, Tom Roberts who painted his portrait during 1892. Both Roberts and Bevan exhibited at the Art Society of NSW’s annual exhibition in that same year. Bevan’s lovely painting: ‘A Preliminary Puff’ was purchased by the Art Gallery of NSW for £15 15s [6] and remains in its collection.

A Preliminary Puff by Edward Bevan, 1892. In the collection of the Art Gallery of NSW

Bevan also had an art studio in the city, in the W.H. Paling building, which he made available to Tom Roberts for his own painting. Roberts’ famous portrait, Eileen was reputed to have been painted in Bevan’s studio.[7] before it was purchased by the Art Gallery of NSW. Bevan also organised an art exhibition in Bathurst during 1892 under the banner of the Associated Artists of New South Wales.

Eileen by Tom Roberts, 1892. From the collection of the Art Gallery of NSW.

During September 1892 Mrs Bevan advertised for a general servant at Dunholme for their family of four sons, noting that a nurse was also employed.[8]

In a family sideline, with brother, Walter – as Bevan Bros – Edward commenced citrus fruit-growing on 40 acres at Galston in the Hornsby district. The farm was featured in The Cumberland Mercury of August 1893, when the 3,453 fruit trees were tended by manager, Mr S. Pearce.[9] The following year Edward Bevan invented the Bevan Fruit Grader.

Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate 24 November 1894 p.8

Bevan Bros successfully exported their quality fruit to the UK. This venture included the experimental export of passionfruit in airtight tins in 1894.[10] Sadly though, 75 cases of fruit were lost on the Lusitania during 1897 when they arrived in London in poor condition.[11][12] An article on orange growing in NSW in 1895 featured the Bevan Brothers Orchard, complete with drawings by Edward Bevan.

Australian Town and Country Journal 16 November 1895 p.33

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71216263/5243928

At the Art Society of New South Wales’s exhibition in 1895, Bevan’s works were praised. ‘The various phases of bush life are truthfully illustrated by Mr Edward Bevan, in some half-score of water-colors, all racy of the campfire, the ‘billy’, the ‘sundowner’ and the ‘swag’, and are sure to find a numerous circle of admirers.’[13]

When the manager of Bevan Bros resigned to begin his own business in March 1896, Edward Bevan took over management of the orchard.[14] He moved to Galston at about this time, although he was already Honorary Secretary of the Galston-Dural Progress Association.[15] However, already ill, his residence there was brief and he died in Galston in 1898, aged just 44. The Bulletin reported on the news:

The Bulletin Vol.19 No.967, 27 August 1898 p.13

https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-668227693

Dunholme remained in the family but was leased out. In March 1899 Mr J.J. Roth sold the entire contents of Dunholme before he and his family left for Europe.[16] In 1914 the house was occupied by W.E. Stopford.[17]

By 1917, Edward Bevan’s son, Guy had returned to Dunholme with his wife. Their son was born there in early March.[18] The house remained in the Bevan family until the 1930s.[19]

Guy Felix Bevan was elected to Strathfield Council after the by-election caused by the death of Alderman Boden in 1933.[20] Alderman Bevan was the factory manager of Matthews & Co., paper bag manufacturers.[21] After the company was wound up in 1929,[22] he became director, and later managing director, of Paper Products Ltd.[23]

Alderman Guy Bevan. Courtesy Ancestry.com

Guy Bevan tended his resignation to Strathfield Council in August 1937 [24] and the family moved to Wollstonecraft. On 1 October that year their son, Gordon Guy Bevan, aged 18, was tragically killed when the car in which he was a passenger collided with a taxi. His three friends and the taxi driver all escaped with minor injuries.[25] A vote of sympathy was passed by Strathfield Council at its meeting on 12 October.[26]

Edward Bevan’s widow, Marian Bevan, survived him by more than 40 years, dying in Strathfield in June 1939. During the 1920s she had resided at 36 Churchill Avenue but by 1929 had moved to 10 Torrington Road, Strathfield.[27] Neither of these homes still stand.

Guy Bevan died in Wollstonecraft in June 1957.[28] His wife, Kathleen died, aged 91 in September 1977.[29]

In March 1953 the contents of Dunholme were again offered for auction after the sale of the property to the Russian Orthodox Church.[30]

Today, Bevans Road, Galston remains as a link to the family of local fruit-growers.

 

By J.J. MacRitchie

Local Studies Advisor

 

References

[1] Illustrated Sydney News 7 February 1889 p.16 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63621451

 

[2] Sydney Morning Herald 10 November 1888 p.19 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13703169

 

[3] Sydney Morning Herald 3 November 1888 p.19 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13702282

 

[4] Sydney Morning Herald 29 November 1890 p.1 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13787877

 

[5] Sydney Morning Herald 6 September 1890 p.12 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13788625

 

[6] Illustrated Sydney News 10 September 1892 p.6 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/64031240

 

[7] Cotter, Julie Tom Roberts & the Art of Portraiture Melbourne: Thames & Hudson, 2015 p.242

 

[8] Evening News 13 September 1892 p.1 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112595322

 

[9] The Cumberland Mercury 19 August 1893 p.4 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252751239

 

[10] The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate 28 July 1894 p.2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/85647289

 

[11] The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate 9 October 1897 p.4 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/85772311

 

[12] The Albury Banner and Wodonga Express 8 October 1897 p.29 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/99419967

 

[13] The Bulletin Vol.16 No.816, 5 October 1895 p.20 https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-668227693

 

[14] The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate 14 March 1896 p.11 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/85768289

 

[15] The Cumberland Mercury 23 March 1895 p.9 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252765978

 

[16] Sydney Morning Herald 16 March 1899 p.2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14204619

 

[17] Sydney Morning Herald 11 July 1914 p.9 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15522001

 

[18] Sydney Morning Herald 10 March 1917 p.12 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15718101

 

[19] Strathfield Municipal Council valuation books

 

[20] Sydney Morning Herald 31 July 1933 p.10 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16994634

 

[21] Daily Commercial News and Shipping List 19 January 1921 p.11 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/159774999

 

[22] Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales 23 August 1929 p.3556 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223084418

 

[23] The Sun 23 October 1933 p.9 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/229146523

 

[24] Strathfield Council minutes 17 August 1937

 

[25] Daily Telegraph 2 October 1937 p.1 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/247237506

 

[26] Strathfield Council minutes 12 October 1937

 

[27] Electoral rolls

 

[28] Ryerson Index

 

[29] Ryerson Index

 

[30] Sydney Morning Herald 4 March 1953 p.13 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18359857

 

 

 

 

 

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