painter, etcher and art teacher, was born in Melbourne in Septemer 1906, daughter of Dr R.J. Bull. She began her career in 1929 at the National Gallery School, where she produced some fine portraits and competent etchings, eg Batman’s Landing 1935, etching and aquatint, National Gallery of Australia. In 1937 she won the Sir John Longstaff scholarship to travel and work overseas. She went to London, where she was an accredited Australian war artist during World War II. An exhibition of these artists’ works recording the damage caused by German bombing raids on cities and towns throughout Britain – about 200 paintings and etchings in all – was held at London’s Australia House in November 1947. Until then they had been 'censored and on the official secrets list’, according to a report in the Sydney Sun . Bull’s war pictures are represented in the Imperial War Museum, London, as well as in Australia.
On her return to Australia after nine years abroad Norma wished to do something different. For over twelve months she followed Wirth’s Circus around Australia, passionately painting the acrobats, animals, clowns, people and scenes of circus life. From then on she lived at the family home, Medlow, in Warrigal Road, Surrey Hills (Vic.). From 1960 she was secretary of the Fellowship of Australian Artists. This artist and teacher would spend part of each year at her holiday homes in Anglesea and Bright, painting and drawing Australian landscapes and seascapes. She loved nature and was very much a conservationist, noted for her expressions of despair that so many forest areas were being destroyed, as she said, 'to make room for buildings and freeways’. Norma Bull died in Melbourne in September 1980.
- Writers:
- Rollason, Tim
- Date written:
- 1995
- Last updated:
- 2011
