Historical information

Sydney PERN (c1876-1967)

Dr Sydney Pern began practicing medicine in Yarram before setting up practice in Ballarat. He was a competent artist, and as an amateur anthropologist collection Aboriginal artefacts during travels in Central and Northern Australia.

Dr Sydney Pern died aged 91 on 23 October 1967, and is buried in the Ballaarat New Cemetery. The ethnographic collection was housed at his home, 10 Raglan Street North, before being donated to the Ballarat School of Mines Museum. When the museum was closed in the 1960s Dr Pern requested that the collection pass to the City Council, and from there it was housed at the Gold Museum.

An artwork by Sydney Pern was exhibited in the 1958 Crouch Prize at the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery.

This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 2000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.

Physical description

Framed oil on sketching paper seascape by Dr Sydney Pern

Gift of David Alexander, 2013

Inscriptions & markings

Signed lower right corner "S. Pern"