Barbara Ann Noonan

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Born: 1939 Melbourne
Bio: Barbara is the eldest child of Frances Joseph Dean and Mary Noonan. She has two younger brothers and two younger sisters. Mary Noonan originated from Queensland and prior to her marriage had taken a few private art lessons with most of the other students being male. She ceased her lessons when one day she was confronted by a nude life model. Having had a totally cloistered upbringing it was too much, being more conscious of male company than ever before, she managed to see the session out but never returned.
Barbara fondly recalls finding her mother's student works. "I can always remember as a child that the few paintings my mother did, which were still-lifes done on canvas were rolled up in the bottom of our sideboard and I often used to rummage for them and sit and look at these paintings and think aren't they marvellous. I'd like to be able to do that one day."
Barbara spent the first seven years of her life in South Yarra where she attended St Josephs Convent School. From there they moved to Reservoir where Frank had built their new home Barbara went on to
St Gabriels Primary School. She began her secondary education at the Academy of Mary Immaculate in North Fitzroy. At about this time the radio station 3XY used to have a children's program called Peter's Pals Club. They ran a competition for what you would most like to win and you had to draw the item. Barbara had always wanted a tennis racket. She found a rather beaten up one, drew the racket and won. Twelve months later the same radio station again ran a competition for the best drawn pirate flag; the prize being a bike. Barbara was desperate for a bike and proceeded not just to draw a flag but did a full watercolour of a pirate ship flying a pirate flag. She won. The success of winning those prizes fired her enthusiasm to continue drawing. Sister Mary Bernadine, the art teacher at the academy realised Barbara's talent and encouraged the Noonans to support Barbara entering the art field. Plans were made to send her to finishing school so ultimately she could become an art teacher. Unfortunately this was not to be. The Noonans financial circumstances did not allow Barbara to continue at school and at the age of fourteen she left school and became an assistant in a chemist shop. However, her mother immediately enrolled her for Saturday morning art classes at Melbourne Technical School. They were shortlived. Barbara's boss announced she was also needed on Saturday mornings. This put paid to her drawing for over a decade.
In 1958 she met young policeman Royce Beasley. Meeting at a Heidelberg Town Hall dance they married in 1960. Settling in Ferntree Gully and in the ensuing four years had three daughters.
Barbara's renewed interest in painting came about because of her own bare walls. Financially life was a bit of a struggle and not having the money to decorate the house she decided to pull out her old brushes and paints to paint her own pictures. To her surprise the paint was still useable. She painted a couple of paintings from scenes in the Women's Weekly. It was 1967, and so began seriously her life as a painter. Her youngest daughter Leandra was mentally handicapped causing strains within the family and Barbara soon discovered that painting just 'took me out of myself.'
In 1968 she entered a painting in the Lilydale Show and received second prize, giving her the confidence to pursue painting seriously. In 1969 she saw an advertisement asking people interested in the formation of a Sherbrooke Art Society (SAS) to contact a Jack Montgomery. After some initial enquires Barbara became a founding member of the new group. Initially they met in a small fire brigade hall in Upwey and for the first time in her life Barbara was in the company of like-minded people.
She keenly participated in the society's field days gaining new knowledge from other artists as well as attending 'crit' nights where helpful hints again added to her learning curve. She took lessons from the society's founder, Jack Montgomery, and found that instruction immensely helpful. To minimise costs she turned her hand to making her own frames. In 1970 she accepted the secretarial role for the SAS and that same year she had a joint exhibition at a gallery in Hawthorn with Jack Montgomery. In 1972 she relinquished the position of secretary and instead took on the position of treasurer, a position she held until 1978.
In Monbulk Nicholas Bentinck had set up the Moulin Rouge Gallery, basically to show his own works. Mavis Hill, the new secretary of the SAS, and Barbara approached him with a view to holding the Arthur Streeton Award Exhibition, sponsored by SAS, at his gallery. He agreed and so began a comfortable working relationship between the SAS and the Moulin Rouge.
At some earlier stage Barbara had been receiving some lessons from Bentinck in portraiture. At the end of the year he held an exhibition of his students works and asked Ambrose Griffin to judge the portraits. Barbara Beasley's work was judged to be the best. She had her first solo exhibition at Moulin Rouge in 1972. She continued as a student of Nick's and sometime later in 1972 Nick was hospitalised. Marguerite Bentinck, Nick's wife, asked Barbara to take over Nick's classes. Initially reticent due to not feeling qualified enough to take on that commitment, she finally did so because of their confidence in her and they gave her an assurance that it would only be for his stay in hospital. Nick Bentinck died three months later of cancer. Barbara continued the classes until the Bentinck lease with the owner of the building ran out. Marguerite did not renew. The SAS decided to take it over and it is still their home to this day. Barbara continued taking classes but this time for the SAS. During the years of 1971-73 she again exhibited solo at the Heritage Gallery in Frankston. Late in 1974 the Beasley marriage terminated.
Early in 1975 the SAS were looking for a new manager to administer the society and Barbara, anxious to start a new life, was appointed to the position and moved to the old Moulin Rouge living area. She continued to teach, retain the role as treasurer and manage. She found it hard going and lost valuable painting time. It is somewhere in this period that she joined the Victorian Artists Society (VAS). She left her job as manager in 1978. The SAS, in recognition of her valuable services, bestowed on her an honourary life membership. She rented a house in Donvale, setting up the front room for painting classes. Due to her heavy workload in the three previous years she had only managed one solo show and one joint show, so she was anxious to again start exhibiting. In June 1978 she held a joint show with Carol Milton at the Waterfall Gallery in Elsternwick. In 1979 she had another two solo shows In was also in 1979 that she met Dennis Southgate, an engineer. They 'hit it off' straight away and some months later Barbara moved to his home in Warrandyte. Barbara gave up the house in Donvale, and rented a derelict house in Wetherby Road Doncaster to continue her classes. Once a studio was built at Warrandyte the Wetherby Road house was relinquished.
In 1981 she and Dennis married. She ceased being Barbara Ann Beasley and became Barbara Beasley-Southgate. In that year she also had a joint show with Lance Sullivan as well as a solo show on home ground at Warrandyte. She also joined the Australian Guild of Realist Artists (AGRA). From 1982 to 1986
she held eight solo exhibitions including one at the VAS Gallery in 1986. From 1983 to 1989 she was a council member of AGRA relinquishing that position when she and Dennis moved to Mansfield.
She took up pastel painting in 1984 and was also the year they moved from Warrandyte to Wantirna. The fires of 1983 had impacted greatly on Barbara and she no longer felt safe, hence the move.
From 1987 to 1991 she had another nine solo and two joint exhibitions. In 1992 she exhibited with John Duncan Firth and Ernie Trembath at both the Moyhu Gallery, Moyhu and at the Waterfall Gallery in Yellingbo. she has just recently had another solo exhibition at the Courier Gallery in Mansfield.
Barbara mainly paints in oils but also enjoys working with pastels and pencils. She is also a portrait painter. She describes her style of work as tonal impressionism. From 1972 to 1991 Barbara has participated in many prizes and awards throughout Victoria. She has won over 35 of them. Over the years she has judged many art shows and many varied art society
exhibitions. Presently she still judges and conducts weekend workshops. Her painting "Lime kilns at Waratah Bay" was used for the covers of the 1989 white pages of the phone book for the Gippsland Region.
Some years ago while on holiday in the North East Region of Victoria both she and Dennis 'fell in love' with a piece of land near Mansfield. They purchased it and moved there permanently in 1989. They are in the process of finishing their house and Barbara is keen to commence work in her new studio which will have the rugged vista of Mt Buller visible from her windows - a source of inspiration for anyone.

Source: Interview by Willi Carney, July 1992


CV:

Barbara Ann Noonan

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