watercolourist, was the eldest daughter of James Cox of Clarendon, Tasmania, and his second wife Eliza Eddington (1809-65), daughter of David Collins, lieutenant-governor of Van Diemen’s Land. In 1873 she painted a watercolour of the Cox’s summer residence, Marion Villa at George Town, which shows a croquet match in progress beside the house (private collection). In April 1877 she became the second wife of Rev. John Cowpland Dixon , the Church of England parson at West Tamar. When her husband retired in June 1883 they moved to England but after his death in 1885 Eliza returned to Tasmania. She died at Evandale on 26 April 1897 and was buried in the Cox family vault.
An undated watercolour and pencil sketch of Ben Lomond (Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery) is inscribed verso 'Ben Lomond drawn from fields near Ross Tasmania by Eliza Cox’, while another undated watercolour, inscribed verso in pencil 'Low Head Light House Entrance Tamar River Tasmania’ (Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery), has had 'by Eliza Cox’ added in ink. Although it has been suggested that these were done much earlier by her mother, they are not incompatible with Eliza’s known work and could date from the late 1860s. Her large collection of very competent flower paintings dating from the 1850s to the late 1870s (after her marriage) is held privately.
- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1992
- Last updated:
- 2011
