TWO FURTHER ACQUISITIONS ASSURE EDUCATIONALISTS THEIR PLACE IN HISTORY

Some good detective work and a generous donor have resulted in the NZ Portrait Gallery’s recent acquisition of two large oil portraits of significant New Zealanders.

Painted by F.V. Ellis, A.R.C.A. (London), a leading portraitist of his time, the works are of Randolph Ridling and Eric Glanville Cousins, both successive directors of the Wellington Technical College between the 1930s to the 1950s.

The artist's son, Fred Ellis, recently found an Evening Post photograph and reference to the portraits when going through his father's papers. Unsure of their whereabouts, he contacted Wellington High School, the successor of the Wellington Technical College, where they were found in a basement, well preserved and in good condition. The donation to the Gallery has been made by the Principal of Wellington High School, Prue Kelly.

The timing of the donation has a strange co-incidence. Randolph Ridling had a distinguished war career during which he was awarded the Albert Military Medal for saving the life of a soldier who mishandled a hand grenade. This medal was later changed by Royal Decree to the George Cross, and this medal was among those taken in the recent burglary at the Waiouru Military Museum.

The artist Frederick Ellis was born in Halifax, Yorkshire , in England and studied portraiture and stained glass in London and Italy. In 1922 he immigrated to New Zealand under the La Trobe scheme which encouraged trained artist-teachers to come to New Zealand. At the end of the war he became head of the Department of Art at Wellington Technical College. Apart from his portraits of a number of significant New Zealanders in education, the church and law, he also designed the World War 1 memorial windows in the Hunter Building of Victoria University and in the Auckland Museum.

"The NZ Portrait Gallery is very fortunate to have these portraits for our permanent collection", said Gallery Director Avenal McKinnon. "The artist F. V. Ellis was a significant portraitist and these are powerful works which show the dignity, presence and authority of two educationalists who deserve this permanent place in our history".

Both Randolph Ridling and Eric Cousins left a legacy of high educational principle. When Ridling became the fourth Director of Wellington Technical College (1931 - 1950) it was regarded as one of "the toughest and most demanding of educational positions in the country". His stewardship of the College included the preparation for raising the school leaving age to 15, increasing the efficiency of teacher training, and a new system of apprenticeship which was eventually the envy of many international institutions.

His successor Eric Cousins presided over a College (1950 -1955) which grew from a struggling institution to the biggest school in Wellington. Among his many achievements was his determination to revive the School of Architecture, and his vision for a comprehensive, technical education is evident in many of the principles still upheld by Wellington High School.

10/12/07 - (Source: "The School that Riley Built" by Noel Harrison
Published by Wellington Technical College 1961)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_V._Ellis

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Last Updated: 2009-10-08