Sir Charles Lloyd Jones (28 May 187830 July 1958) was an Australian businessman and patron of the arts, serving as Chairman of

David Jones Limited David Jones Pty Ltd, trading as David Jones (colloquially DJs), is an Australian luxury department stores, department store. The brand was owned from 2014 to 2023 by the South African retail group Woolworths South Africa. In December 2022, Davi ...

from 1920 to his death in 1958.

Early life and background

Jones was born in 1878 in

Burwood, New South Wales Burwood is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the Local government in Australia, local government area of Mun ...

, to

Edward Lloyd Jones Edward Lloyd Jones (23 April 1874 – 2 February 1934) was an Australian Shorthorn cattle breeder and chairman of David Jones Limited. David Jones was founded in Sydney in 1838 and is the world's oldest continuously operating department store s ...

and Helen Ann Jones, and was the grandson of the Welsh-born merchant David Jones. After attending the Manor House School, in London, and

Homebush Grammar School Homebush Grammar School was an independent non-denominational day school for boys located in Albert Road Strathfield, New South Wales. At the time Albert Road was listed as being in Homebush hence the name of the school. History The school was ...

, Jones studied from 1895 at the

Julian Ashton Art School The Julian Ashton Art School was established by Julian Ashton in 1890 as the "Academy Julian", (perhaps a reference to the Académie Julian in Paris) has been an influential art school in Australia. For a long time it was known as the Sydney Art ...

in Sydney and then the Slade School of Fine Art in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, but ultimately was unable to fulfil his ambition of becoming a professional artist. He later trained as a tailor and worked in that profession for several years in England before returning to Australia in 1902. On 16 November 1900 when visiting Sydney he married his first wife, Winifred Ethelwyn Quaife, the daughter o
Barzillai Quaife
(1798-1873), a Congregational and Presbyterian minister, but they had no children.

Career and David Jones

After he returned to Sydney in 1902, Jones worked in the family company

, in the clothing factory before transferring to the advertising department. When David Jones Ltd became a listed as a public company in 1906, he was appointed as a director. In 1920 he succeeded his elder brother,

, as Chairman, a position he would hold until his death in 1958. During his term, David Jones expanded significantly, opening a second major store in Elizabeth Street in 1927 and later a third on the corner of Market and Castlereagh streets in 1938 to mark the centenary of the company. As both an artist himself and a patron of the arts in Sydney, Jones established the David Jones Art Gallery in the Elizabeth Street store in 1944, under the direction of Sir John Ashton. The Sir Charles Lloyd Jones Memorial Prize was named in his honour. A promoter of Sydney artists and in particular the work of

William Dobell Sir William Dobell (24 September 189913 May 1970) was an Australian portrait and landscape artist of the 20th century. Dobell won the Archibald Prize, Australia's premier award for portrait artists on three occasions. The Dobell Prize is named ...

, Dobell painted Jones' portrait in 1951, which is now held in the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra. In a note to his sons regarding the family company he said: "David Jones is more than a material money-making concern, it is a great institution rendering a service to countless millions in the year, in fair dealing with the desire to serve all who enter its doors honestly, setting a new standard in commercial practice." He was also publisher of

Art in Australia ''Art in Australia'' was an Australian art magazine that was published between 1916 and 1942. Founding ''Art in Australia,'' was first issued in 1916. It was edited by Sydney Ure Smith, graphic artist and director of the advertising agency, ...

. He was the inaugural Chairman of the

Australian Broadcasting Commission The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is a ...

1932–34 and acting chairman of the

Australian National Travel Association The Australian National Travel Association (1929–2001) was a semi-government industry organisation which promoted tourism and travel in Australia. Establishment The Australian National Travel Association was formed in 1929 at the onset of the G ...

when in 1934 it launched ''

Walkabout Walkabout is a term dating to the pastoral era in which large numbers of Aboriginal Australians were employed on cattle stations. During the tropical wet season, when there was little work on the stations, many would return to their traditional ...

'' magazine. He was made a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...

in the 1951 New Year's Honours.

Honours

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver Ju ...

, 1935. *

King George VI Coronation Medal The King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir of King George VI's coronation. It was awarded to th ...

, 1937. *

1951 New Year Honours The 1951 New Years Honours were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 1 January 1951 for the Brit ...

. *

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal () is a commemorative medal instituted to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. Award This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir from the Queen to members of the Royal Family ...

, 1953.

Arms

Notes

External links

* Silas Clifford-Smith, 'Charles Lloyd Jones (Sir)', Dictionary of Australian Artists Online

peer reviewed biography of his art career, 2009 * Shopkeepers and Shoppers, Frances Pollon published 1989 A social history of Retailing in New South Wales from 1788 {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Charles Lloyd Chairpersons of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Alumni of the Slade School of Fine Art Australian art patrons Australian Knights Bachelor Australian businesspeople in retailing Businesspeople from Sydney 1878 births 1958 deaths 20th-century Australian painters 20th-century Australian male artists Julian Ashton Art School alumni Australian male painters Jones family Australian people of Welsh descent Businesspeople awarded knighthoods