painter and photographer in NSW. Samuel Cocks was born in Bathurst in 1870 to William and Marguerita Cocks who moved to Kiama in the 1880s and ran a general store in Manning street. Samuel studied art in Sydney and won prizes in the Art Students Prizes at the National Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1890: “In the still-life group, Mr S. Cocks wins the first prize for a well-painted representation of a decanter and glasses on a table. The picture is particularly well-painted and well-deserving of its place” ( Sydney Morning Herald , 8 January 1890, p.8)commented “... among the still-life studies in oil, the first prize of £5 is awarded to no.35 by S. Cocks – a really admirable study of a decanter containing some wine, a wine glass, bronze candlestick, table-napkin and ring, standing on a polished table. The dark crimson curtain forming the background is well chosen for effect” ( Illustrated Sydney News , 22 January 1890, p.22). Exhibited Society of Artistsin 1895 and 1899.
Cocks learned photography as an apprentice at Henry Holden’s studio in Kiama and took over the studio in 1898. He continued sales and exhibitions of his impressionistic water colour paintings mostly seascapes until late life.
Cocks was active in sports and social bodies and well known. He made extensive tours of the district building a large inventory. A fine album in the State Library of New South Wales of the Coolangatta Estate is extraordinary for its record of the indigenous servants and farm workers. An album of New Zealand views exists but how long Cocks was there is not certain.
A large archive is held by the University of Woolongong.
- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1999
- Last updated:
- 2022
