Ward watercolours

The Rev. Tom Ward was a highly regarded South Australian landscape artist who was obviously impressed with what he saw on Kangaroo Island 1896-1898.

Most of his known Kangaroo Island artistic work is from 1896-98. The Cottage at Frenchman’s Rock is considered by some as his most historical KI painting. Tom Ward recorded his arrival at Hog Bay on SS James Comrie in 1896 . The 75-ton James Comrie, built in Sydney in 1873, was one of the first regular transports between Kangaroo Island and the mainland. The wooden-hulled Comrie made regular shuttle trips with mail, other necessities and passengers to Hog Bay, Kingscote and the mainland.

The historian, the late Jean Nunn drew attention to Ward’s Kangaroo Island paintings held in the State Library of South Australia . For further information: A list of his works held in the Mortlock Library Archives can be found at : http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/archivaldocs/prg/PRG741_TomWard_speciallist.pdf

‘The Late Rev. Tom Ward’, Observer, 13 December 1919, p27; A well-known South Australian, the Rev. Tom Ward, died suddenly at his residence, North Adelaide, on December 4 at the advanced age of 77 years. The deceased clergymen, who was the eldest son of a former City Coroner (Mr. Thomas Ward), was born at Nuneaton, England, in 1842, and came with his parents to Adelaide in 1855. His father engaged in farming at Riverton, but subsequently removed, to Adelaide, where the son entered the accountant's office of the Wallaroo and Moonta Copper Mining Company. He subsequently received the appointment of accountant to the Wallaroo Smelting Company, which position he occupied for some years. Mr. Ward then decided to enter the Anglican ministry, and having resigned his position as accountant, became a student at St. Barnabas's Theological College, North Adelaide. He was subsequently ordained a priest of the Church of England by Bishop Kermion, and was appointed to take charge of St. Peters and Mount Gambier parishes. Then, for a period of two years, he ministered to the Anglican community at Darwin, and on returning south filled a similar position at Wentworth, New South Wales, for a long period. Coming back to Adelaide, he helped with relieving work, until about eight years ago, when he relinquished this work. The late Mr. Ward, who was of a particularly retiring disposition, was keenly interested in microscopical work, and was a talented landscape painter in oils. There are two surviving brothers— Mr. F. C. Ward, of Glenelg, late secretary to the Minister for Mines; and Mr. Alfred Ward of Melbourne, and a sister—Mrs. Bosworth, of Perth, Western Australia. The deceased's remains were cremated on Friday, at the Crematorium, West terrace.

Obituaries. (1919, December 13). Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931), p. 27. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165904150