Cartoonist, illustrator and artist, was born in Worthing, England. In 1902 he joined the Royal Navy, where he kept a personal daily journal, only one volume of which is known to have survived, i.e. the voyage of the Challenger to Australia and the Pacific 1909-10. It includes many maps, cartoons and illustrations as well as stamps and photographs of places he visited. He resigned from the Navy in 1911, returned to Australia and married Emily Prees in 1913. They went to Gisborne, New Zealand, where he was employed as a dredge master until c.1920. Paintings done in NZ are known.
After working for the Australian Navy in Perth, Norton came to Sydney and was employed by the Australian Shipping Line, possibly until it folded in 1929. Then he made blocks and did illustrations for various Sydney newspapers, including Smith’s Weekly , the Telegraph (c.1934), the Sunday Sun and Guardian (c.1933), the Sydney Mail (1936) and Pix magazine (1938-54); he also freelanced. Examples include continuing the Pix series 'It’s a Fact’ after 1954 (very straight illustrations).
Charles and Emily had four children, including marine painter Frank Norton .
- Writers:
- Kerr, Joan
- Date written:
- 1996
- Last updated:
- 2007
