Santa and the Drover
Jack Waugh’s artwork for Arnott’s Biscuits, 1964.
Courtesy http://www.collectingbooksandmagazines.com/waugh.html
‘Santa and the Drover’ was commissioned by local biscuit company Arnott’s in 1964 for its Christmas biscuit tins. Artist, Jack Waugh used himself as a model for the drover whose horse is tentatively getting to know Santa’s reindeer in the background. The drover shares his billy tea – and biscuits, no doubt – with Santa. The painting was used by Arnott’s for many years and also graced the back cover of The Australian Women’s Weekly during the 1960s and 1970s.
Arnott’s biscuit tin c.1982
https://treatsandtreasures.com.au/arnott-s-tins-boxes/14202-arnott-s-santa-the-drover-round-900g-biscuit-tin-c1982.html
Jack Waugh was born in 1911, and spent his childhood in Lakemba and Glebe. Aged 14, he was sent to work with his uncle, a signwriter. He served during World War II but was medically discharged because of poor eyesight. His years travelling the dusty roads of Australia without decent goggles, on his motorcycle, adversely affected his sight for life. And yet his career as a commercial artist was a great success and his illustrations featured regularly in titles including Man, Man Junior, Adam and Cavalcade. However, ‘Santa and the Drover’ would remain his best-known work. The iconic image became so popular it inspired a poem about Santa being lost in the Australian bush and seeking directions from the drover. Joye Dempsey’s 1994 poem begins:
‘It was `Birdsville’ that I saw him, his foot resting on a log,
sort of leanin’ on his reindeer, first I thought it was his dog.
`Blue’, my own dog looked real puzzled, didn’t know quite what to do,
first he sniffed, then started growling and I said, “Hey, come here Blue!
Now, I think this fellers Santa and he must’ve lost his way –
it’s the red gear and the white beard sorta gives the game away.’[1]
Jack Waugh’s photo from WWII enlistment papers. Courtesy National Archives of Australia
Jack Waugh married during the war and afterwards settled in Jamberoo where he raised his family. In 1973 he was interviewed for The Australian Women’s Weekly.[2] Jack Waugh died in Jamberoo, aged 85 in 1996. His beautiful painting continues to delight 57 years after it was first painted.
Merry Christmas to all!
By J.J. MacRitchie
Local Studies Advisor
References:
[1] Dempsey, Joye (c.1994) ‘Bush Christmas‘ https://australianstorytelling.org.au/stories/bush-christmas-by-joye-dempsey[2] The Australian Women’s Weekly 19 December 1973 pp.30-32 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/51196231
Further information about Jack Waugh can be found at:
http://www.collectingbooksandmagazines.com/waugh.html
https://theviolethourmuse.wordpress.com/tag/jack-waugh/
For more information about Arnott’s Biscuits, see:
Jones, Cathy ‘Arnotts Biscuit Factory Homebush’ https://strathfieldhistory.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/fact-sheet-arnott-biscuits.pdf
1 Comment. Leave new
Thanks for that. I remember the biscuit tins – my mother inlaw used to collect these.