Shirley Williamson (nee Neilson) was born in Franklin, Tasmania on the 10th September, 1929. The family were transferred to Bellerive when she was a child , her father was the Post Master. The centre of the community’s communication ,in the time of manual exchanges and telegrams.

Shirley’s parents, Arthur  and Grace Neilson were a volatile combination; Athur’s passionate egalitarianism and Grace’s intellect providing the breeding groundwork for Shirley’s inquiring mind. Visits to the local library, accompanied by her mother, brought her into contact with new and often challenging ideas.

After her high school years and a couple of years at business college she moved to Melbourne and lived in Fitzroy. The poverty and injustice which she encountered there, reinforced her commitment to a fairer society through political reform. Her brother Bill spent all of his working life in Tasmania’s House Of Assembly.

In 1950, after a brief romance she married Jack Williamson, an aircraft engineer and they moved to Broken Hill where they lived for seven years. Having two children James in 1951 and Peter 5 years later. She returned to Hobart in 1957, to escape the drunken husband. Grace bought a piece of land in Howrah and they made a home. Unfortunately Jack followed a year later. The turbulent marriage ended in a divorce in 1969. With her children teenagers , she enrolled in an Adult Education painting class and the following year commenced study at the School of Art, Hobart. Graduating in Fine Art in 1973. Then spent a year teaching at Kingston High School in 1974.

She then travelled to Europe in 1975 to view the works first hand of the artists she most admired. Caravaggio, Goya, Kokoshka, Shiele and Bacon.

Her output as a painter was a short, but intense and passionate one! Her continual search for truth, and her directness can be seen clearly in her work. Her portraits penetrate surface likeness to bring that part of the character which reveals our inner life. Shirley’s risk in using strong colours brings her at times close to the movement of the fauvist painters (the wild ones). Her application and stroke work of paint relate also to painters such as Kokoshka and Bacon. Shirley’s struggle with the paint media is always apparent; and her self-criticism refreshing.

I know that Shirley’s images will leave a strong and lasting impression on us all.

Shirley was diagnosed with cancer in 1987, and died in March 1988.

                                                                                               Anton Holtzner.

Exhibitions

INDIVIDUAL AND JOINT

1973    Marie Edwards and Shirley Williamson. Clarence City  council chambers

1979    Rosny College Auditorium, Tasmania

1980    “Two Tasmanian Women Artists”, Fine Arts Gallery . University of Tasmania

1984     “Drawings”   AMP building, Hobart

1988     Salamanca Place Gallery, Hobart  (Dick Bett’s)

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

1972    Contemporary Arts Society, Victoria.

1973    “Contemporary Art”  Gallery #2   Salamanca Place, Hobart

1978    Auditorium Rosny College Tasmania

1979    “Notes from the Underground” Tasmanian Puppet Theatre. Hobart

1980     “Women’s Art Exhibition”.  Bellerive Arts Centre , Hobart

1982     “Detours by Tender Aliens”, Long Gallery. Salamanca Place Hobart

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

             Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

              University of Tasmania

Gallery