Don Featherstone
Born
Sydney Featherstone

(1902-11-16)16 November 1902
Darlington
Died6 May 1984(1984-05-06) (aged 81)
Toowoomba, Queensland
Occupation(s)painter, nurse
Known forfilm making

Sydney (Don) Featherstone (1902–1984) BEM is known for his work as an amateur filmmaker in Australia, being awarded a British Empire Medal for services to cinephotography.

Featherstone was an awarded ambulance officer, receiving the insignia of the serving brother of the Order of St John in 1966.[1]

From the 1920s to the 1980s Featherstone made 55 films across genre including fiction, travel, history, and documentary. His work was mainly focussed on the Darling Downs, and includes the 1954 royal visit.[2][lower-alpha 1]

Early life and education

Featherstone was born on 16 November 1902 at Darlington, England. He was the second of six sons. His father, Joseph Featherstone, was a railway shunter and an ambulanceman. His mother was Eliza Dorothy, née Moody.[2]

Featherstone started school at Harrowgate Hill Primary School, Darlington. The family migrated to Toowoomba, Queensland in 1911, and Featherstone's education continued at Toowoomba East State School to 1914, when he left school at the age of 12.[2]

His early employment was as a boot delivery-boy, then as a coach-trimmer and signwriter. Featherstone was nicknamed 'Don' to avoid confusion with another apprentice. He later worked in Brisbane and then returned to Toowoomba as a painter at the city's foundry in 1927.[2]

Adult life

Featherstone was a member of two local entertainment groups, the Bohemian Club, including being its president,[4] and the Merry Makers, and played steel guitar.[5][6][2]

He joined the Toowoomba Art Society in 1927, and is recognised as a locally significant artist on the Darling Downs.[7] Featherstone won prizes for his paintings at the Royal Adelaide Show and the 1954 Brisbane Exhibition.[8][2] The watercolour 'Longview' by Featherstone was included in the curated 20th anniversary exhibition by the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery.[9] Otherworks include 'Golden Tree', water colour,[10] 'Toowoomba Town Hall', water colour.[11]

Featherstone married Emmie Gillam, of Toowoomba, on 25 February 1933.[12] They had one daughter.[2]

During retirement he introduced art as therapy at the Toowoomba Mental Hospital,[13] and taught adult education classes in painting.[2]

He died at Toowoomba on 6 May 1984,[2] and, Brush, Camera and Memories: seventy years in Toowoomba, his autobiography, was published in 1985.[14]

Career

While working at the Toowoomba Foundry, Featherstone undertook first-aid training, and in 1939 received his instructor's certificate from the St John Ambulance Association. From 1942 he worked as a medical orderly at Wallangara, Canungra, and Truscott in the Civil Construction Corp.[2]

Featherstone became an ambulance officer in 1946 at the Toowoomba station of the Queensland Ambulance Transport Brigade. He also worked as an honorary instructor.[2]

Featherstone combined his interest in film with his work in first aid presenting film programmes on the subject.[15]

He became a nurse in 1961, an occupation Featherstone kept until 1968. He instructed in first-aid at the Toowoomba Mental Hospital from 1965, and on 27 July 1966 he was awarded with the insignia of the serving brother of the Order of St John.[2]

Film

Featherstone started his life as a filmmmaker in 1926, when he bought a second hand camera,[16] a 16-mm Kodascope.[2]

In 1952 he was a foundation member of the Darling Downs Amateur Cine Society,[lower-alpha 2][16] and became a life member in 1961.[2]

He was widely acknowledged as the best amateur filmmaker in Australia, and his collection of films was passed to the Heritage Building Society in 1982.[2]

Awards and recognition

  • Winner in Adelaide Filmo Club's 25th Australia wide Film Competition in 1963 for Bush Critics (1961)[17]
  • One of "The Ten Best Films" in the 37th PSA-MPD International Film Festival for Under the Kurrajong (1966)[18]
The scene composition is a joy to the eye, and cutting gives the film a different pace from many of this type.
  • An "Honorable Mention" in the 37th PSA-MPD International Film Festival for Narraburra (1966)[18]
... is a slick piece of drama ...

Memoria

  • The Don Featherstone Memorial Trophy[16] is awarded annually in May by the Darling Downs Movie Makers for best story movie up to five minutes in duration.[20]

Filmography

Film work by Featherstone includes:

  • Bush Critics (1961); screened by the Federation of Australian Amateur Cine Societies 1968[21]
  • Under the Kurrajong (1966)
  • Narraburra (1966)

Notes

  1. ↑ The official Australian Government film record of the visit to Toowoomba was lost in a plane crash.[3]
  2. ↑ Now known as the Darling Downs Movie Makers.[16]

References

  1. ↑ Taylor, Brodie. "Caring for Your St John Collection" (PDF). The St John Ambulance Historical Society of Australia. p. 7. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 French, Maurice (2007). "Featherstone, Sydney (Don) (1902–1984)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 17. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  3. ↑ "From cities and towns". The Courier-mail. Queensland, Australia. 17 March 1954. p. 8. Retrieved 24 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ "SOCIAL". Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette. Vol. LXIX, no. 362. Queensland, Australia. 3 November 1930. p. 3. Retrieved 24 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ "PILTON". Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette. Vol. LXIX, no. 74. Queensland, Australia. 27 March 1930. p. 3. Retrieved 24 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ "THE MERRY MAKERS". Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette. Vol. LXX, no. 66. Queensland, Australia. 18 March 1931. p. 5. Retrieved 24 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ French, Maurice (1 January 2010). "Darling Downs". Queensland Historical Atlas. The University of Queensland; Queensland Museum; Queensland Government. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  8. ↑ "The King To-day". The Courier-mail. Queensland, Australia. 5 August 1954. p. 5. Retrieved 1 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ Pottinger, Sandy (20 March 2014). "Gallery celebrates 20th anniversary". The Chronicle. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  10. ↑ Pottinger, Sandy (4 October 2019). "Photos focus on local sites". The Chronicle. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  11. ↑ "Auction 71" (PDF). Auction Catalogue - Toowoomba Antiques Gallery. Graham Lancaster Auctions. 2013. p. 2. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  12. ↑ "WEDDINGS". Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette. Vol. LXXII, no. 56. Queensland, Australia. 7 March 1933. p. 5. Retrieved 24 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ↑ Thomson, Eileen (31 May 1990). "Baillie Henderson Hospital: A Century of Care 1890 - 1990". Baillie Henderson Mental Health Museum. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  14. ↑ Brush, camera and memories: seventy years in Toowoomba. National Library of Australia. 1985. ISBN 9780949414014. Retrieved 24 December 2021. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  15. ↑ "Presentation of First Aid Certificates". Pittsworth Sentinel. Vol. 52. Queensland, Australia. 15 August 1952. p. 2. Retrieved 25 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Gill, Heather (14 October 2021). "World Home Movie Day 2021: Amateur Cine Societies". National Film and Sound Archive. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  17. ↑ "Local Man wins Film Award". The Coromandel. Vol. 19, no. 10. South Australia. 11 October 1963. p. 1. Retrieved 24 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. 1 2 Cushman, George. "Cine Section - The Winning Films - In the 37th Annual PSA-PMD International Film Festival". PSA Journal. Photographic Society of America (September 1966): 33–37 – via PSA Historical Recordist. Received 30 December 2021
  19. ↑ "New Year 1978 Honours". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Special. No. S1. 3 January 1978. p. 4. Retrieved 24 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ↑ "About Us". Darling Downs Movie Makers Inc. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  21. ↑ "Bush Critics by Don Featherstone". Curated Home Movies Collection. National Film and Sound Archive. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
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