B. 1860 – 1940

Clara Southern was a pioneering figure in the fight for women's equality in the arts and the professional standing of women artists. Born near Kyneton, Victoria, she was one of the first women to be elected to the Buonarotti Society in 1886, marking a milestone in her career. Southern was also the first woman member of the Australian Artists' Association and its committee, and served on the Council of the Victorian Artists Society from 1902 to 1906, advocating for women's rights within the art community.

Southern is known for her vibrant depictions of the Australian landscape, particularly the area around Warrandyte, where she became a well-known local identity. She studied and painted alongside the male artists of the Heidelberg School, often joining their plein air painting trips to places like Heidelberg and Eaglemont. 

In 1907, Southern exhibited at the First Exhibition of Australian Women’s Work, solidifying her reputation as one of Melbourne’s most prominent female landscape artists. Her studio in Melbourne, which she shared with Jane Price and Jane Sutherland, became a gathering place for artists and where she conducted drawing and painting classes in the early 1890s. 

Living in Warrandyte was not without its risks, with Southern looking many of her major works in 1939 fires. Despite this, she remained dedicated to her craft and her community. She supported the Artists' Bushfire Relief Fund Exhibition and contributed to the Hermannsburg Mission Water Supply exhibition in 1933, an exhibition in support of First Nations people and the challenges they faced in Central Australia. Clara Southern’s legacy as an advocate for women in the arts and her profound connection to the local Victorian landscape endures.

To read a more in-depth biography of the artist, click here.