Leonard and Kathleen Shillam were

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n sculptors, whose works are widely displayed in

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

Early life

Leonard George Shillam AM (born 15 August 1915 in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

, Queensland - died 1 September 2005), was a founding member of both the Queensland Society of Sculptors and the Queensland Wildlife Artists Society. He attended Brisbane Grammar School (1928–30) and studied under Martyn Roberts at the Central Technical College, Brisbane (1931–33). He was awarded the Godfrey Rivers Medal in 1934. From 1934 to 1936 he was employed as a designer in a silk screen poster studio.Cooke (2006), pg. 2 In 1938 he received a Carnegie Institute Grant, which enabled him to study life modelling at the Westminster School, London. With the declaration of war (in 1939) he returned to Brisbane.Cooke (2006), pg. 4 Kathleen Shillam (née O'Neill) AM (born 25 May 1916 in England - died 20 September 2002 in Australia). Kathleen was born at

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, arriving in Australia in 1927. She attended the Girls Grammar School, Brisbane (1930–31) and the Central Technical College, Brisbane (1932–33). She was awarded the Godfrey Rivers Medal in 1933. From 1934 to 1938 she was employed as a part-time commercial artist. In 1938 she moved to Sydney and spent much time in 1939 drawing animals at Sydney's Taronga Park Zoo. She returned to Brisbane in December 1939.

Personal life

Leonard Shillam and Kathleen O'Neill met at the Central Technical College, Brisbane, in 1932. They first exhibited at the First Annual Exhibition of work executed by art students of the Central Technical College in November of that year. Along with Francis Lymburner and Will Smith, in 1935 they formed the nucleus of a small studio group to draw at the Victory Chambers, Adelaide Street, Brisbane. In 1939, they both returned to Brisbane, and from 1941 to 1950 they earned a livelihood as poultry farmers. They were married on 1 September 1942 at the Brisbane Registry Office. In 1980, they set up a bronze casting foundry in their studio and until 1987 cast all their own smaller scaled works. On 21 March 1987 they were involved in a serious car accident that permanently affected the health of both.

Seal sculpture

In 1956, Len Shillam was commissioned to create a water fountain feature for the pool of Lennon's Hotel at

Broadbeach Broadbeach is a Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Broadbeach had a population of 6,786 people. Geography The Broadbeach stretch was originally coastal forest. This gradual ...

(the first large hotel on the Gold Coast). He created a life-size sculpture of a seal with its pup ('Seal and Pup') in polished

terrazzo Terrazzo is a composite material, poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass, or other suitable material, poured with a cementitious binder (for chemical bind ...

which became a local icon. After the demolition of the hotel in 1987, the sculpture was relocated to the nearby Sakura Japanese Gardens restaurant. It soon disappeared before being found at that bottom of a canal near the casino. After it was retrieved by

Conrad Jupiters Casino The Star Gold Coast (formerly Jupiters Hotel and Casino) is an integrated resort located in the suburb of Broadbeach on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. The casino, which was Queensland's first, is situated next to the Nerang River and ...

and

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, it was restored and donated to the

National Trust of Australia The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...

. In 2004, it was placed at the entrance of the

Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) is located on the Gold Coast Highway in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia. The venue was opened on 29 June 2004 at a cost of A$167 million. It is linked by a covered walkway to The ...

, a short distance from the former Lennon's Hotel, where it remains today. Seal and Pup is listed on the

Gold Coast Local Heritage Register The Gold Coast Local Heritage Register is a heritage register containing a list of culturally-significant places within the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country compr ...

Awards

In 1976, they were awarded life membership of the Society of Sculptors, Queensland. On 26 January 1986, they were appointed Members of the Order of Australia.SHILLAM, Leonard George
, Member of the Order of Australia (AM), 26 January 1986, It's an Honour.
Citation: For service to sculpture.SHILLAM, Kathleen
, Member of the Order of Australia (AM), 26 January 1986, It's an Honour.
Citation: For service to the arts, particularly in the field of sculpture, and to education. In December 2000, they were awarded Honorary Doctorates of Philosophy for services to the arts, notably sculpture, from the University of Queensland.Awards - Kathleen Shillam AM
, University of Queensland

Early life

Personal life

Seal sculpture

Awards

References

External links