Margaret Hadfield

MARGARET HADFIELD-ZORGDRAGER

•Born and raised NSW country of Coonabarabran in 1956.

•Parents, Peter and Tryntje Zorgdrager, emigrated to Australia in 1951 from the island of Terschelling, the Netherlands.

•The local Warrumbungle National Park was a perfect setting for a budding artist to develop. Began selling works at 13.

•Ran family tourist park ‘Miniland’ (now gone) 1984-91, then sold.

•Divorced, moved to Canberra/Queanbeyan district and produced and painted products for markets, a major souvenir company (Jabiru), murals and paintings, whilst being a carer for Kerrie who has Hydrocephalis.

•2004 co-founded the Artists Shed, Queanbeyan, a co-operative artist-run, studios, gallery and Art School. Also that year a visit to Gallipoli changed Margaret’s artistic vision and she began to explore history through the landscape. There are currently around 20 paintings in the ‘Gallipoli Series’, which now includes WWII.

•2011 opened Margaret Hadfield Gallery/Studio in small suburban shopping centre of Curtin, ACT, and teaches seven regular adult classes a week.

•2013 completed portraits of Helen Reddy, Geraldine Cox, Natasha Stott Despoja, Dr Fiona Wood, Lauren Jackson and local elder Matilda House-Williams, for the book Inspiring Australian Women by Dr Kathryn Spurling.

Winner Gallipoli Art Prize 2006