Brian

Brian was born in 1941 in Waipukurau, in the Hawke’s Bay region of New Zealand’s north island.

Brian started drawing at age 14, and progressed to oil painting at 18. He was well known in the Waipukurau community for painting the shops every year at Christmas time. Brian still paints regularly and has a collection of work spanning many years.

Professionally, Brian worked in New Zealand as an Art Studio Manager with Charles Haines Advertising for over 20 years, and later worked for the Toorak Times and RS Robey when he moved to Australia in the 1970s.

Brian has also been honoured by the New Zealand government for his work with the elderly and St John’s ambulance.

Brian describes himself as a ‘crazy Hawthorn dude’ – a reference to his strong love of the Hawthorn Football Club. The club recognised his devotion to the team when triple premiership player Russell Greene brought the premiership cup to Brian’s house at the time in Elwood, Melbourne.

Brian moved into Wintringham Specialist Aged Care after being hospitalised. Wintringham is a welfare organisation which among other things provides housing to older people who need it most.