Portia Geach: Portrait of an Activist

Publisher's description:
PORTIA GEACH (1873-1959) heralded the age of the modern Australian woman. Sophisticated, creative and a formidable advocate for women, she was equally championed for her campaigns and pummelled for interfering in the business of men. The first Australian woman admitted to London's Royal Academy of Arts, upon her return to Australia she took charge of her career, first as an artist, then becoming a leader in the women's rights movement. She fought for equal pay, access to political power and better standards of healthcare. She represented Australia at women's rights assemblies in America, exhibited her paintings internationally, and, in 1929, famously led Sydney's potato boycott as a challenge to high prices. The Portia Geach Memorial Award was established by the will of Florence Kate Geach, Portia's sister. It is Australia's most prestigious art prize for portraiture by women artists - yet Portia has been written out of history. This book tells her story for the first time.

Author: Julie Cotter

Publisher: Joyce Press

Format: Paperback

Pages: 516

Published: 3 December 2024

ISBN: 9781763679900