painter. Agricultural Society of NSW 1873: Exhibits from Academy of Arts – Water Colours – no.171 A Rainy Day – A Day’s Fishing – Digger’s Hut – Cove in Sydney Harbour .
Agricultural Society of NSW Exhibition 1874: Fine Arts – Competitive – Exhibits from the New South Wales Academy of Art – Water Colours – Wm Bennett, NSW – no.76 Sydney Harbour ; no.81 Near Burwood ; no.86 The Lyn, North Devon .
Third annual exhibition of works of Colonial Artists by NSW Academy of Art: “Mr William Bennett sends three water colours drawings of merit; the best to our mind being no.84 – A View near Burwood “ ( Sydney Mail , 11 April 1874, p.479). NSW Academy of Art, third annual exhibition 1874: William Bennett – Amateur – NSW – oil paintings – no.84 Near Burwood – original – competitive; no.85 The Lyn, North Devon – original – competitive; no.86 Sydney Harbour – original – competitive.
Agricultural Society of NSW exhibition 1875: Water-Colours, Landscapes, W. Bennett, New South Wales, highly commended … W. Bennett, New South Wales, commended. Marine [water-colours] W. Bennett New South Wales , [first] prize.
Fourth annual exhibition of the NSW Academy of Art 1875: William Bennett – Artist – NSW – Water-colors – no.90 Giants of the Forest – original; no.91 Sydney Heads, from Heights above Middle Harbour – original – £10.10.0; no.92 Bantry Bay, Middle Harbour – original – £12.12.0; no.96 Coast, Bondi, looking South – original; no.97 Coast, Bondi, looking north – original; no.98 Five Dock Bay, Parramatta River – original – £10.10.0; no.99 ditto – original – £10.10.0; no.100 Blackwall [Blackwattle?] Bay , ditto – original; no.101 Near Willoughby Falls, Middle Harbour – original – £10.10.0; no.102 Fig Tree Point – original – £7.7.0. “New South Wales Academy of Art Exhibition 1875 … Water Colors … Society’s Silver Medal (to artist) no.97 Wm Bennett, artist, NSW” ( Sydney Mail , 29 May 1875, p.681). “Prizes: Water Colours – Society’s Silver Medal (to [professional] artists): No.97, Coast at Bondi, looking north , by William Bennett, New South Wales. ... Mr William Bennett contributes a number of sketches, comprising some very pretty views, rendered with great taste and skill. One of these, a view of the coast of Bondi, looking north (no.97), secured the silver medal of the society. ... Some of Mr W. Bennett’s water-colour sketches are well worth inspection. No 90, Giants of the Forest , is an excellent delineation of forest scenery, painted with much effect. Sydney Heads (no.91) and Bantry Bay (No.92), by the same artist, are remarkably alike for their fidelity to nature” ( Sydney Mail , 3 April 1875).
Exhibited at NSW Academy of Art fifth annual exhibition 1876: W. Bennett – Artist – Victoria – Water Colors – no.59. Deepdene, Glenmore Road – Original; no.74 On the Peel River, Bee[tire?] – original – £26.5.0.
At sixth annual exhibition of the NSW Academy of Art 1877: – water colors – Bennett, W. – no.68 Mossman’s Bay ; no.72 Near Tamworth – Early Morning – £15.15.0; no.126 Near the Rocks, Murrurundi – £15.15.0. “Mr W. Bennett sends three [works], of which Near the Rocks, Murrurundi (126) is the most ambitious” ( Sydney Mail , 7 April 1877, p.424).
Exhibited at [Royal] Art Society of NSW, 1885.
Colonial Fine Art Exhibition, Burlington Gallery, London, 1886: W. Bennett – no.7 Sydney Harbour from Port Elizabeth .
