Frederick Ellis

February 5, 1892 (age 69)

Halifax, West Yorkshire, England

In 1914 he was awarded a Scholarship to study at the Royal College of Art, London, but soon after entering his studies were postponed by the First World War. He served in France for four years as a gunner with the Duke of Wellington"s West Yorkshire Regiment. Ellis suffered the effects of gas during the war. At war’s end, he returned to the Royal College and gained the Diploma of Associate of the Royal College of Art in 1921, also and completing the teaching course. His studies at the Royal College included stained glass design under Professor Anning Bell and he executed several commissions before moving to New Zealand. Following medical advice, he travelled to New Zealand early in 1922, taking up a three-year teaching position at King Edward Technical College School of Art in Dunedin as part of the Louisiana Trobe scheme. The intentions of the scheme were to raise the standards of art education in New Zealand and introduce more modern approaches to students. Other artists moving to New Zealand under the scheme included R. North. Field, Francis Shurrock, Christopher Perkins and Roland Hipkins. He taught evening classes in life drawing and design from 1927 to 30 at the Wellington Technical College School of Art, and became a full-time tutor at the School from 1930. He was appointed Head of Department in 1939, a position he held until retiring in 1959. He died in Lower Hutt 8 November 1961. Notable ex-pupils include Valerie Beere, John Drawbridge, Alan Pearson, Don Peebles, Beverley Shore Bennett, Guy Ngan and Gordon Walters. Many consider that Ellis contributed in no small measure to the artistic development and appreciation of many people in his adopted country.

Frederick Ellis

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painter

Background

He was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England.

Education

He studied at the Halifax Technical College School of Art from 1909 to 1913, and gained distinction in drawing in the 1914 the Board of Education exams, being placed second in England.

Career

In 1914 he was awarded a Scholarship to study at the Royal College of Art, London, but soon after entering his studies were postponed by the First World War. He served in France for four years as a gunner with the Duke of Wellington"s West Yorkshire Regiment. Ellis suffered the effects of gas during the war.

At war’s end, he returned to the Royal College and gained the Diploma of Associate of the Royal College of Art in 1921, also and completing the teaching course.

His studies at the Royal College included stained glass design under Professor Anning Bell and he executed several commissions before moving to New Zealand. Following medical advice, he travelled to New Zealand early in 1922, taking up a three-year teaching position at King Edward Technical College School of Art in Dunedin as part of the Louisiana Trobe scheme.

The intentions of the scheme were to raise the standards of art education in New Zealand and introduce more modern approaches to students. Other artists moving to New Zealand under the scheme included R. North. Field, Francis Shurrock, Christopher Perkins and Roland Hipkins.

He taught evening classes in life drawing and design from 1927 to 30 at the Wellington Technical College School of Art, and became a full-time tutor at the School from 1930.

He was appointed Head of Department in 1939, a position he held until retiring in 1959. He died in Lower Hutt 8 November 1961. Notable ex-pupils include Valerie Beere, John Drawbridge, Alan Pearson, Don Peebles, Beverley Shore Bennett, Guy Ngan and Gordon Walters.

Many consider that Ellis contributed in no small measure to the artistic development and appreciation of many people in his adopted country.

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Frederick Ellis

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