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Gloria Alice Lovelock was born in Toowoomba on 25 February 1906, the first daughter of the two boys and two girls born to William Lovelock and Florence Annie née Jones. The family came to reside in Sandgate a few years later where Gloria attended the Sandgate State School and later studied secretarial courses at the Domestic Science High School, Brisbane. She first became involved with pottery when she accompanied Olive Dougherty (later Moase qv) to pottery classes at the Central Technical College in 1926. She exhibited a collection of pottery at the Second Annual Exhibition of Work by Art Students of the Central Technical College in December, 1933; the Third Annual Exhibition in December, 1934; and in the Sixth Annual Exhibition in November, 1937. She may also have exhibited her work in 1935 and 1936 but individual exhibitors are not cited in these years. She continued her classes with L. J. Harvey when he was teaching at Horsham House and was included in exhibitions there until 1941. She exhibited pottery at the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association in 1939 and pottery, leather and macramé work at the Arts and Crafts Society of Queensland in 1941. She also exhibited a vase modelled as a tree trunk at a students’ exhibition at Horsham House during the 1940s.

After this she worked for the Red Cross as a remedial craft instructor teaching returned servicemen leatherwork, chip carving and pottery and, in turn, was taught leather plaiting by one of her patients. She taught pottery to the University of Queensland physiotherapy students at the Royal Brisbane Hospital during 1944. She was appointed a Superintendent for the Red Cross in 1945 and in late 1949 replaced Mrs C. W. White in charge of the Red Cross Depot. She worked as a secretary for a few years before she had to retire to care for her aged parents and subsequently worked as a secretary at St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School, Corinda during the 1970s.

Gloria Lovelock was one of the most highly regarded potters of the Harvey School and demonstrated her skills at workshops during the Queensland Art Gallery’s 1983 exhibition 'LJ Harvey and his School’.

She died at Redcliffe on 6 March 1995.

Queensland Art Gallery: Research Curator, Queensland Heritage

Writers:

Cooke, Glenn R. Note: Research Curator, Queensland Heritage, Queensland Art Gallery

Date written:

2003

Last updated:

2011