Design and Art Australia Online

Painter, illustrator and cartoonist, studied with Dattilo Rubbo in evening and weekend classes at Sydney’s Royal Art Society from the late 1920s, while working as a commercial artist and cartoonist during the day. By 1930 he was regularly drawing cartoons for the Bulletin , earning two guineas for every one published. A large collection of original cartoons by Johnston, mostly done for the early 1930s Bulletin , is in the Mitchell Library [ML] (possibly also works signed 'Harry Johnston’). Examples include an undated cartoon of two young men in front of a line of chorus girls: '“I saw Mae out with John last night. Thought she’d thrown him over.”/ “She did; but you know how a girl throws”’ (ill. Rolfe, 281); undated waiter and diner joke (ill. Rolfe, 289).

Large Bulletin originals in ML signed 'Johnston’ with the first 'n’ crossed and initial letter mixture of 'G’ (or 'H’?) – which seems to be George’s signature – include an orchestra and flimsily clad singer joke: '“She seems to have a break in her enunciation tonight, Mr. Leader”/ “Say, you keep your eye on your music”’ (Px*D37/32), published 25 October 1933; *salesman asking man if he wants stockings for wife or 'something better’ (Px*D437/23), published 20 December 1933; 'Manager: “Are you never fired with enthusiasm my boy?”/ Boy: “Oh yes – sir every job I get”’ c.1933 (PXD 437/26: included in 1999 State Library of New South Wales [SLNSW] black and white exhibition under 'workers’, cat. 201); librarian and fat man image with joke missing (at least in photocopy, Px*D437/50) published 14 March 1934; two men in dinner suits in a library (joke missing in photocopy, Px*D437/40) published 26 December 1934; *couple in bed with woman asking if 'sport’ likes milk in his tea (Px*D437/25) published 9 Jan (or June) 1935 (included in 'Sex’ in SLNSW exhibition); and '“The press would like to have your lordship’s views on this country.”/ “Certainly boys, certainly. Which country is it?”’ (PXD 437/33), published Bulletin 1 January 1936, 18, and used in 'Royals’ in 1999 SLNSW b/w exhibition.

In 1934 George Johnston married the painter and illustrator Thora Ungar at St John’s Anglican Church, Glebe. They rented a Griffin house at the Parapet, Castlecrag (the Moon House), next door to Walter and Marion Mahony Griffin , and both freelanced, with George also illustrating for small tabloids. Like many cartoonists, he really wanted to be a fine art painter and did bushland views at Castlecrag, which he exhibited and sold. The Art Gallery of New South Wales owns two portraits.

In 1937 the pair decided to go to London and sold up everything in order to afford the cheapest route, via China and across Russia on the Transcontinental Express. They had been in Shanghai for about six weeks when the Japanese invaded on 13 August 1937 – six days before they were booked to leave. George remained in Shanghai throughout the occupation and later had a job in charge of silkscreen work with the China branch of the cigarette company W.D. & H.O. Wills. In 1941 he and Thora returned to Sydney – just before Pearl Harbour. He then seems to have served in New Guinea, was wounded and repatriated to Croydon Hospital in Sydney after Milne Bay. He was in Croydon when Thora’s Kokoda Trail drawing appeared on the cover of the Women’s Weekly , an event which strained their marriage . George and Thora eventually divorced and both subsequently remarried, George to Norma. Late in life he is believed to have mainly executed courtroom drawings. He died in 1984.

Writers:

Kerr, Joan

Date written:

1996

Last updated:

2007