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Gwenyth Ewens

by Kristi McNulty

The annual Gwenyth Ewens Art Award for children was held in June [2021]. It seemed an appropriate time to find out a little more about this remarkably benevolent, but little-known woman.

Gwenyth Alberta Ewens was born in Claremont in 1912 but her family was born and bred in Fremantle’s West End. Her great-grandfather, Henry Albert, arrived in Fremantle on board the Hashemy in 1850. He owned a number of properties in Fremantle including several carriage buildings and a substantial house in Henry Street. His son, Henry William Albert, was a butcher, and he and his wife Sarah, had six children but only three of these lived beyond infancy. Henry William died of pneumonia in 1889 at only 28 years old. Their youngest daughter Ethyl Maud married Arthur Pickett Ewens in 1910 and they had two daughters, Gwenyth Alberta born 1912 and Mavis Sarah born 1916. 5

In the 1920s-30s Gwenyth’s name was often in the social pages of the newspapers, she wrote letters and contributed puzzles, her attendance was reported at various functions, she played piano at musical evenings. Art was more than just an interest for her as she won several drawing competitions. 6

On leaving school she began training in commercial art but found herself drawn into the more mathematical field of drafting. She was employed by a city firm of shop-fitters to design shop fronts, display cases, general office fittings and lead lights. In order to further her skills and improve her ability as a designer Gwenyth was one of only a handful of women to enrol to study architecture at Perth Technical School. 7

She went on to study glass in building construction and illumination for a number of years and became an authority in the field of how glass could be used in the modern home for structural, functional and decorative purposes. 8

She was awarded a Fellowship to the Lighting Engineers of Australia for her significant contributions to the art/science of illumination. 9

In 1987 Gwenyth contacted the Fremantle City Council wishing to donate $1,000 to start an art competition for Fremantle children, to help them appreciate the beautiful buildings there. The inaugural Gwenyth Ewens Art Award in 1989 themed “Historic Buildings in Fremantle,” was open to high school students. She was so delighted with the enthusiastic response, over 60 entries from 3 local schools, that she set up a $4,000 trust fund and the competition became an annual Fremantle event. She had set up a similar trust for young artists in Claremont 6 years before. 10

Gwenyth Ewens died February 15th 1995 aged 83, leaving a $75,000 bequest to the City of Fremantle to continue to fund the annual art competition for primary school children.11 Each year the Fremantle Library approaches all the primary schools in the area to encourage their year 5 and 6 students to take part. Students submit a piece of art depicting part or whole of an iconic building in the Fremantle area.

This year [2021]was the 32nd time the award has been held and over 200 entries were received from six schools, the most popular subjects being the classic heritage buildings such as the Prison, Markets, Roundhouse and Arts Centre, and, interestingly, the Power Station and Dingo Mill. The artworks were on display at the Moores Building from June 26th till July 4th. 12

5 Fremantle History Centre, Biographical File: Ewens, Gwenyth
6 Trove newspapers.
7 Daily News, 8 May 1933.
8 The West Australian, 25 March 1952.
9 FHC Biographical File: Ewens, Gwenyth
10 Fremantle Herald, 21 December 1989.
11 Fremantle Herald, 25 March 1995.
12 John Geijsman, Fremantle City Library, email, 9 July 2021

The Gwenyth Ewens Memorial Bursary Grant Policy & Application Form

Appendix A: Gwenyth Ewens Story

Gwenyth Ewens was born in 1916 at Claremont, Western Australia, where she attended the Methodist Ladies College. She studied survey drafting and architecture at the Perth Technical College and took a course in History of Architecture at the University of Western Australia. She became a member of the Architectural Association of Western Australia. She specialised in glass research and did practical workat Pilkington Bros, St Helens, England. After a study tour of The Netherlands and Germany organised by the two respective governments, she became a member of the Housing Centre Trust in London. She was a member of the Inter-Society Colour Council of USA for 15 years.

Gwen Ewens was a tireless lecturer on architectural design, interior decoration, lighting, colour and vision, lecturing at the University of Western Australia for the Adult Education Board, and the Technical Education Division of the Department of Education in Western Australia. She presented her first paper ‘On the production, properties and utilisation of glass’ to the IES in Western Australia in 1949. In 1951,she joined the IES WA Council and served on most of the Council’s committees. She acted as secretary when the need arose, contributing her vast experience in Society affairs to the continuity of the IES in Western Australia. She was elected on the National Council in November 1966 and remained on the Council to November 1972, when she retired from the National Council and, in 1975, also retired from the IES Council in Western Australia because of pressing family commitments.

Gwen was dedicated to IES: The Lighting Society and all the Society stands for. She was for many years the Western Australia representative on the National Lighting Education Board, and the State editor of the IES Lighting Review. Every five years, Gwen Ewens would become the rallying point for the IES National Conference and Convention in Western Australia. She often acted on the program committee, meetings committee, social committee, facilities committee, publicity committee, and as public relations officer, all in one.

On 20 November 1975 Gwen was elected a Life Fellow of the Illuminating Engineering Societies of Australia in recognition of her work “as a member of the National Council and, in particular, as a long- standing supporter of that Council in her home state, Western Australia”.

Gwen Ewens passed away in Perth on 15 February 1995 and in her will bequeathed a sum of moneyto IES: The Lighting Society, for the purposes of education and research.

Gwenyth Ewens Art Award 2023

On Thursday 21st September the annual Gwenyth Ewens Art Award was held at the Fremantle Town Hall. This year saw a very good turnout of entries with 8 primary schools entering a total of 317 artworks.
Gwenyth Ewens made a very generous $75,000 bequest to the City of Fremantle to promote art and architecture to the children of Fremantle and inspire them into artistic professions.
The judges would have had a very difficult job to do as the standard was very high. 270 people attended the opening night, the Town Hall was bustling. Richard Offen, President of the RWAHS, was the Master of Ceremonies and presented the awards.
Students were invited to submit one A3 sized entry, a painting or pencil sketch, depicting part or whole of a historic building in the Fremantle area. The awards were distributed as follows: 2 winners per school, 3 Judges’ Choice Awards, and an overall winning school, which was Richmond Primary.

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A small sample the students' artwork.

References and Links

The first article is republished by courtesy of the author, Kristi McNulty, from the FHS Newsletter of July 2021. The third article is republished by courtesy of the author, Kristi McNulty, from the FHS Newsletter of July 2021.

Images courtesy of Kristi McNulty and the Fremantle Library.

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