Skip to main content
Image Not Available for Darling Harbour, Sydney
Darling Harbour, Sydney
Image Not Available for Darling Harbour, Sydney

Darling Harbour, Sydney

Maker (1920 - 1987)
Datec 1960
Object number00028903
NamePainting
MediumOil paints on canvas, wood (frame)
DimensionsImage: 365 x 440 mm
Overall: 480 x 555 x 45 mm, 1.5 kg
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionPainting by Frank Spears wharves of Darling Harbour with the city of Sydney behind. The buildings are hazy, and smoke rises from the wharves in the foreground. Artist's signature lower right corner 'Frank H. Spears' in white paint. Verso handwritten pen and pencil inscriptions. fibalist Wynne Prize 1953, 1958 1959HistoryFrank H. Spears was a minor but established painter mainly of landscapes, who had been painting since at least the the early 1950s. He was a traditional style landscape artist whose work has been exhibited at AGNSW and is represented in a number of regional public and government collections, also in collections overseas. Spears won numerous local and regional awards for landscapes, including being a finalist in the Wynne Prize in 1953, 1958 and 1959. The scene depicted shows wharf building at Darling Harbour, probably around 1960. The location is noted on the back of the painting, with a price in pre-decimal currency. SignificanceThis painting documents part of the story of the rise and fall of port development on Sydney Harbour, specifically at Darling Harbour. A contrast to the many scenic harbour scapes that can be found.