Exhibition puts local identity on show

By Melissa Donchi
A NEW art exhibition will take a closer look at a well-known Warburton identity, Harry McClelland, at The McClelland gallery and Sculpture Park, Langwarrin, between 15 July and 14 October.
McClelland: The Bo-hemian Legacy will examine the art, life and times of Harry McClelland, a frequent visitor to Warburton in the 1920s and ‘30s where he stayed with his sister Sarah Eldridge at Birdwood House, overlooking the railway station.
Andrew Gaynor is the McClelland Gallery’s special projects curator and is keen to speak to anyone who may have paintings, archival records or memories of Harry McClelland and/or Mrs Eldridge.
“He was a pretty average painter and sometimes a bloody awful one,” Mr Gaynor said.
“But it was his semi-artistic bohemian character and interesting family that has seen his life gain attention.”
Mrs Eldridge gained most of her attention for her eccentric ways as the owner of Birdwood House.
According to the Upper Yarra Advocate, in October 1923 Mrs Eldridge opened her guest house for singing lessons from a gentleman who taught “a British and continental style of opera”.
Local historian Ellena Biggs said Mrs Eldridge was also widely believed to have practiced the spiritual philosophy of theosophy.
“Long-time Warburton resident Bill Hagg recalled people often referred to Mrs Eldridge as having predicted the fate of his six-year-old brother Ronald Hagg, who mysteriously drowned in the Yarra River in Warburton in June 1930,” Ms Biggs said.
“Bill’s family were businesspeople in the area and he recalled people referring to Mrs Eldridge as a ‘theosopher’.”
By the 1920s Mr McClelland and his family had quickly established themselves at the centre of a bohemian group of creative personalities drawn from all strata of Victoria’s social life, including Sir Darryl Lindsay, Percy Leason and W.B. McInnes.
Mr McInnes’ portrait of Mr McClelland won the Archibald Prize in 1931.
Mrs Eldridge died in 1947 aged 73 while Mr McClelland died in 1954 at the age of 67.
For more information on the exhibition contact Andrew Gaynor on 9509 7335 or 0405 835 306 or email artandrew2002@-yahoo.com.au.