Biography

George O’Brien (1821-1888)

George originated from Dromoland Castle in County Clare, Ireland. He lost his mother in 1832 as well as his father in 1838 and by the time he was twenty nine had decided to emigrate to Victoria, Australia. He was a draughtsman and gained employment with the Surveyor General. Later he was elected as an associate of the Victorian Institute of Architects.

By 1853, George O’Brien had married Jane Mashford of Melbourne and he was exhibiting artworks with the Society of Fine Art in that city. Two years later he won the gold medal for watercolour landscapes.

The O’Brien family moved to New Zealand and by 1864 were living in Dunedin. O’Brien worked as a draughtsman with the Town Board and later worked as a civil engineer. About this time he started running classes for drawing and painting and in 1870 was invited to exhibit some of his work with the Auckland Society of Artists. Not only was O’Brien involved with the art world but was also working both as a civil engineer as well as an architect. He drew perspective proposals for Knox Church and other Dunedin buildings while employed by the firm of Mason & Wales.

Jane Mashford died in 1879 at the age of 46 and O’Brien concentrated more on his work. In 1883 he was preparing drawings for R. A. Lawson for the likes of Otago Boys High School and Seacliff Hospital.

Until his death (heart disease and erysipelas), George O’Brien continued to exhibit his landscapes and architectural drawings. He is highly regarded today as a ‘colonial artist’ whose work portrays recognisable local landscapes; with an idealistic colonial viewpoint.