Twilight Talks – The Life of Walter Withers by David Rathgen

Twilight Talks have been held at the Ballarat Mechanics Institute since 2001, providing a great opportunity to hear some fantastic speakers and meet up with friends over drinks.

Participants arrive at the Humffray Room from 5:00pm for drinks and conversation, followed by a 30 to 40 minute talk commencing at 5:30pm.

Until now there has been no family history of Walter Withers (1854-1914), a notable but underestimated Australian landscape artist of the Heidelberg school. For nearly 200 years his Birmingham ancestors had worked as tailors, sometimes also butchers. During the Georgian period and then into Victorian England, Birmingham changed and the Withers family with it. Tobacco and twine took over from butchery and tailoring which made it possible for Walter’s father, Edwin Withers to become a wealthy businessman and gentleman.

The importance of Walter Withers lies in the fact that he was the first to paint Australia in Australia’s own colours. He explored Victoria from the Bellarine to Creswick and from Ballarat to Cowes.

David Rathgen is a retired Anglican clergyman now living at Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia with his wife and two adult children.

The BMI appreciates the support received from the Community Bank Buninyong for the staging of Twilight Talks