cartoonist, son of Hal and Vi Eyre, began his career as a cadet reporter on the Sydney Evening News then became a cartoonist on the Melbourne Herald. He had cartoons in the Sydney Morning Herald from 1944 (ill. Coleman & Tanner, 49-51) and was employed as its leader page cartoonist until his death, sharing the position with George Molnar. The first original Australian cartoon published in the SMH on 21 October 1944 was by Eyre Jr; it showed a tidal wave of occupied countries about to overwhelm Hitler (ill. Souter, 257: of historic interest). From then on cartoons appeared sporadically in the Herald until the Bulletin cartoonist John Frith was appointed full-time in December 1944. Eyre Jnr had a regular cartoon feature, 'Family Man’, in the Sun Herald. Art Gallery of Western Australia have 2 undated cartoons acquired from the Sun-Herald: “All right you volunteers, the deal’s off!” and “Follow the Band”.
Eyre Jr’s SMH cartoons on the 1954 Royal Visit are illustrated in Souter (328-29). Cartoons on the creation of the DLP (“He’s disgustingly advanced for four months isn’t he?” SMH 1957) are in King (170). National Library of Australia has 145 of Eyre’s original ink and wash cartoons published in the SMH c.1960-65. Mitchell Library (Pic Acc 3088) has hundreds of originals of 'The Family Next Door’ done in the 1960s-70s, donated by the paper in c.1979. When Eyre Junior died in 1972, “emeric” (Emeric Vrbancich) took over as the Herald's editorial cartoonist.
- Writers:
- Kerr, Joan
- Date written:
- 1996
- Last updated:
- 2007
