Historical information

Believed to be Percy Leason’s tribute to famous singer, Dame Nellie Melba, operatic soprano who died on 23 February 1931. The black and white drawing shows two men beneath a pedestal and sculpture of a head with the words “MELBA. A GREAT AUSTRALIAN”. Percy Leason (1889 - 1959) was a painter and cartoonist renowned for his depictions of Australian society in the 1920s and 1930s. He lived in Eltham from about 1924 to 1938 when he moved to the USA. In 1931 his cartoons were published in the Melbourne weekly magazine “Table Talk”, usually a whole page on page 8 or 9. (although it cannot be confirmed that this one was). Orignal source: Thomas Nelson, Carlton.

Significance

This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.'
It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.

Physical description

Digital image and 4 x 5 inch B&W Neg