Deane Collection

A lively set of 70 caricatures and cartoons of early federal politicians, the Deane Collection captures the humour and politics of 1915–25 through Australia’s top illustrators.

Government and politics Visual arts

Key items in the collection

This collection includes 70 original caricatures and cartoons created in pencil, pen and ink, charcoal and wash. Assembled by Percy Deane in the 1920s, the works represent a broad cross-section of Australian political and public life in the early 20th century.

Artists represented

The works include pieces by the following artists:

Boz (2)
Dennis Connelly (6)
Tom Glover (21)
Hal Gye (1)
Livingston Hopkins (5)
Harry Julius (1)
David Low (27)
Phil May (2)
Syd Miller (1)
Herbert Moore (1)
A.S. Peterson (2)
Les F. Reynolds (1)

Early works

Some of the earliest items in the collection include:

Study of a gentleman sitting on a chair (1893), a pencil drawing by Phil May
Jocular Briton (Leaving French hotel), a pen and ink drawing by Phil May
Offering him coalition sausages, a pen and ink drawing by Livingston Hopkins depicting George Reid and Alfred Deakin

Federal parliamentarians (1915–25)

Most drawings portray federal parliamentarians active between 1915 and 1925. Some are lesser known today, but many were prominent political figures, including:

Joseph Cook
James Fenton
Andrew Fisher
Littleton Groom
Henry Gullett
Walter Massey-Greene
G.A. Maxwell
Edward Millen
James Scullin
Bruce Smith
E.G. Theodore
Frank Tudor

Other subjects

The collection also includes caricatures of notable public figures outside politics, such as:

Sir James Elder
Walter Gale
Sir William MacGregor
Douglas Mawson

Self-portrait

A pen and ink drawing of Percy Deane by Tom Glover (1923) is also included.

About Percival Deane

Percival Edgar Deane (1890–1946) was a public servant, publisher, and creative with a strong interest in the arts.

Early life and career

Born in Melbourne, Deane was educated at University High School. In the years following school, he worked in a variety of roles, including:

Methodist lay preacher
shorthand writer
typewriter salesman
clerk at the University of Melbourne
contributor to trade and business magazines
founder of Australian Golfer

Military service and rise in government

Deane enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in 1914 and served in Egypt before being invalided home. In November 1916, he became private secretary to Prime Minister W M Hughes. He attended the Imperial War Conference in 1918 and the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. In 1921 he was appointed Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Department.

He remained in this role under Prime Minister S M Bruce but saw his influence decline after the federal government moved to Canberra in 1927. In 1929 he was transferred to the Department of Home Affairs and retired from the Commonwealth Public Service in 1936.

Personal life and legacy

An unconventional official, Deane preferred the company of writers, artists and bohemians in Melbourne and Sydney to that of senior public servants. He wrote verse, sketched prolifically, and collected political cartoons and caricatures. His collection was later acquired by artist Clifton Pugh (1924–1990).