Richard Bruce Arthur (2 November 1921 – 22 March 1998) was an Australian freestyle wrestler who won a silver medal in the middleweight division at the

1950 British Empire Games The 1950 British Empire Games were the fourth staging of what is now called the Commonwealth Games. It was held in Auckland, New Zealand, between 4 and 11 February 1950, after a 12-year gap from the third edition of the games. A documentary fil ...

; he finished fourth in 1954. He competed at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and officially branded as London 1948, were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus cau ...

, but was eliminated after three bouts. In the 1950s, Arthur joined the artist colony at Dunmoochin in rural Victoria owned by

Clifton Pugh Clifton Ernest Pugh (17 December 1924 – 14 October 1990) was an Australian artist and three-time winner of Australia's Archibald Prize. One of Australia's most renowned and successful painters, Pugh was strongly influenced by German Express ...

where he learnt to weave and became fascinated by the process. After heading to far north Queensland, Arthur, with wife and fellow artist-weaver, Deanna Conti, established a tapestry atelier, Brudea Studio, on Timana Island, off the Cassowary Coast in Rockingham Bay. They leased the island and initially sold work to tourists before working on commission with other Australian artists. In the early days of the Atelier, his main role was making looms and the dyeing of wool. Arthur left Timana, relocating in 1973 to

Dunk Island Dunk Island, known as ''Coonanglebah'' in the Warrgamay and Dyirbal languages, is an island within the locality of Dunk in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It lies off the Australian east coast, opposite the town of Missio ...

where he established the Dunk Island Tapestry Atelier. Arthur remained on the island until his death in 1998.Deaths, The Age, Melbourne, 24 March 1998, page B9

References

1921 births 1998 deaths Olympic wrestlers for Australia Wrestlers at the 1948 Summer Olympics Australian male sport wrestlers Commonwealth Games silver medallists in wrestling Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Australia Wrestlers at the 1950 British Empire Games Wrestlers at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Medallists at the 1950 British Empire Games Sport wrestlers from Melbourne Sportsmen from Victoria (state) 20th-century Australian sportsmen {{Australia-wrestling-bio-stub