Historical information

From 1931 to 1936 Nornie Gude attended the Ballarat Technical Art School, a division of the Ballarat School of Mines. She was accepted into the School at the age of 15 because she was so advanced in painting. She studied at Ballarat for five years before progressing to Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria School.

Nornie Gude won many art competitions, including first prize at the 1936 Melbourne Royal Agricultural Show for still life drawing, and in 1941 became the first woman to win the National Gallery Students Travelling Scholarship.

As an artist Nornie Gude held no theories and was once heard to say, “You spend your first 20 years learning technique and the next 20 years losing it”.


This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 1000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.

Physical description

Framed painting showing two horses jumping over a fence.