illustrator and cartoonist, was born in Adelaide. Although art was a side line during his successful business career as branch manager of the Atlas Assurance Company for about thirty years, William Moore claims him as the oldest black-and-white artist in Adelaide. He had cartoons in many periodicals, contributing to the Lantern (1874-90) then joining Quiz (copies Mortlock Library) as its cartoonist when it began in 1889, e.g. Lion taming 26 March 1896 (Miss Graham, temperance reformer, standing on top of a lion who is Premier Kingston), ill. M. Anderson et al., When Australia Was A Woman (Western Australian Museum, 1998). As well as the full page political cartoon, he drew caricatures of Adelaide’s leading citizens until 1897, then left to join the Critic as its founding artist. His place on Quiz was taken by Claude Marquet . Chinner and Ambrose Dyson were the chief artists on the Critic . ( Will Dyson took over from his brother as chief cartoonist in 1903: other contributors were Alec Laing and Oswald Pryor .)
Later Chinner joined the Adelaide Express and Chronicle associated with the Advertiser . He contributed to the Sydney Bulletin , to Adelaide’s Review of Reviews and Saturday Journal (his final works – caricatures – were done for the latter, which was connected with the Adelaide Register , acc. Moore, 122). He had two drawings published in London Punch – the peak of his ambition. He illustrated G. Flecker’s 'interesting little book of travel notes’ Well , published in 1897: 'Mr Flecker, an Adelaide citizen, journeyed over considerable area of Europe last year, and has set down his impressions in a humorous narrative which is excellent company for an idle hour’ ( Bulletin 11 September 1897).
Chinner was a Sunday School superintendent for 30 years (Moore 123), an Unley councillor 1899-1903, mayor 1903-05, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
- Writers:
- Kerr, Joan
- Date written:
- 1996
- Last updated:
- 2007
