Design and Art Australia Online

painter and botanical artist, was born at Le Havre on 22 October 1844 when her parents, Edward Hamersley and his French wife, Anne Louise, who had migrated to Western Australia in 1836, were revisiting France. In 1850 the family came back to their home Pyrton, near Guildford, outside Perth. The Hamersleys were substantial landowners and led a refined lifestyle. Margaret received her early education from her parents and, later, governesses. As with other young ladies of the day, the emphasis was on sketching and singing and modest academic accomplishments. She loved wildflowers, gardening and watercolour painting but disliked needlework. A watercolour view of King’s Park overlooking Perth inscribed 'M.H.’ (Royal Western Australian Historical Society, ill. cover Australiana 22/1, February 2000, where it is dated 1890s) may be by her and therefore pre-1876.

After a long courtship, Margaret Hamersley married John Forrest, a government surveyor and explorer, in St George’s Cathedral, Perth, on 29 February 1876. They settled at The Bungalow, a property in the centre of Perth bequeathed to Margaret by her father (who died in 1874). Reputedly due to a childhood riding accident, she was unable to have children.

Margaret Forrest’s interest in wildflower painting brought her into contact with similar artists, notably Ellis Rowan and Marianne North . While the latter was in Western Australia in 1880, Forrest acted as her guide and painting companion. Her work of this period is typical of the formal Victorian-style of botanical painting where flowers are isolated on the sheet of paper with a darker halo background. In 1889 Forrest and Ellis Rowan went on a painting excursion to the north west of the state. The two women made their journey by horse and carriage and stayed at various stations in the Gascoigne region. By then, Forrest’s style had matured. Her compositions are bolder with more free-flowing arrangements in watercolour with gouache and glazed highlights; 71 examples are held by the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

Margaret Forrest exhibited six wildflower paintings in the inaugural and only exhibition of the Wilgie Club, on 4 June 1890. She was a founding member of the Club, believed to be the first WA artists’ society. In 1896 she was involved in the formation of the WA Society of Arts and was vice-president until 1902. In the 1890s she produced a small number of book illustrations and attempted oil painting, but her time was increasingly spent furthering her husband’s political career and little work was produced after 1900. Erickson illustrates her reversible card/tea table of jarrah made (there is some speculation as to whether or not Forrest actually made the table herself or if it was simply in her possession) in the 1890s. Formerly in the Hall Collection, its current whereabouts are unknown (ill. Erickson, 17).

John Forrest was elected Premier of Western Australia in 1890; he moved to Federal Parliament in 1901. Margaret accompanied John on interstate and overseas missions, becoming involved in women’s issues following the granting of female franchise in 1899. She was a founding member of the Karrakatta Club, the first women’s club in Australia (founded Perth 1894), which aimed to broaden women’s cultural horizons by bringing them into contact with the fine arts. She was in charge of the arts. She was also a member of the WA Society of Arts.

Sir John Forrest died in 1918. In her last years Lady Forrest lived at Georgina station near Geraldton, where she died on 13 June 1929, aged 93. Both she and her husband were buried in Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth.

Writers:

Gooding, Janda

Date written:

1995

Last updated:

2011