Graham Burstow
Photographer 1927 – 2022
Graham S. Burstow
8 February 1927 – 12 August 2022
OAM, SAPS, PSQF, FPSA, HAFB, FRPS, PSQA, APSA, FAPS, Hon FAPS, AAPS, EFIAP, ARPS, AFIAP
Graham started photography as a young man of seventeen – introduced to it by his younger brother, Sydney, who had joined the Toowoomba Grammar School’s camera club. Thus began a lifelong passion for the artform and a commitment to its promotion through the photographic society movement.
In 1962 Graham became a foundation member of the Australian Photographic Society and he went on to hold the positions of President and Chairman of the Print Division. In 2004 he received a Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to photography, which included his work as Chairman of six international exhibitions held in Australia.
He was also instrumental in establishing the category of ‘Social Documentary’ in Australian exhibitions. Graham was the first Queenslander to achieve a Fellowship in each of the Australian, British, and American Photographic societies.
Graham was Patron of the Toowoomba Photographic Society, of which he held most offices.
Other career highlights of Graham’s include:
- the staging of his solo exhibition Flesh: The Gold Coast in the 1960s, 70s and 80s and the publication of the related book, both in 2014
- the publication of a book of his prints called Touch Me, in 1998
- his inclusion in a group of six prominent Queensland-based photographers chosen by the Queensland Art Gallery to document aspects of Queensland life for a major exhibition, Journeys North, in 1988
Diversity of style and subject is apparent in Burstow’s journey in photography. It seems as if he had walked alongside Max Dupain at the beach, been with Wolfgang Sievers at the building site, shared an impromptu moment with Henri Cartier-Bresson, a portrait session with Arnold Newman, some personal introspective moments with Nan Goldin, and an adventure with Frank Hurley.
Dr Doug Spowart M.Photog, FAIPP, Hon.FAIPP
Collections
Queensland Art Gallery
State Library of Queensland
HOTA (Home of the Arts) Gallery, Gold Coast
Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery
National Library of Australia
Heritage Collection, Toowoomba
Various private collections
Select Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
| 2023 | The Photographer: Graham S Burstow 1927 – 2022 Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery |
| 2015 | Flesh: The Gold Coast in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. HOTA (Home of the Arts), Gold Coast |
| 2014 | Flesh: The Gold Coast in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Brisbane Powerhouse |
| 2002 | Sometimes a Light, retrospective exhibition. Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery |
| 1982 | Within Reach Imagery Gallery, Brisbane |
Group exhibitions
| 2016 | Journeys North Revisited. Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane |
| 2013 | Icons on Icons. Cobb & Co Museum, Toowoomba |
| 1996 | Power to Move: Aspects of Australian Photography. Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane |
| 1996 | Selected Australian Photographers. Bendigo, Victoria |
| 1995 | Dalby Images: Six Australian Photographers. The Dalby Art Gallery, Queensland |
| 1989 | Selected Australian Photographers. Sichuan, China |
| 1988 | Journeys North. Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane |
| 1987 McGregor Prize for Photography. Imagery Gallery, Brisbane | |
| The Kodak Araluen Tourist Images Photography Award. Imagery Gallery, Brisbane | |
| 1987 | 1986 McGregor Prize for Photography. Imagery Gallery, Brisbane |
| 1985 | From out of the West. Imagery Gallery, Brisbane |
| 1983 | Ten Australian Masters. Travelling exhibition: Sydney, Brisbane, Toowoomba, Lismore |
| 1982 | Members Only. Imagery Gallery, Brisbane |
| 1978 | Five Photographers, Five Continents. Royal Photoclub Entre Nous, Nevilles, Belgium |
| 1972 | Twenty Australian Photographers. Limousin, France |
Books by Graham Burstow
| 2019 | Closer. Self published, Toowoomba |
| 2014 | Flesh: the Gold Coast in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. University of Queensland Press, Brisbane |
| 1998 | Touch Me. Top Shelf Productions, Toowoomba |
Books with photographs by Graham Burstow
| 2015 | The Beach: An Australian Passion. Text by Robert Drewe. National Library of Australia |
| 1990 | Christmas in Australia. Edited by Malcolm McGregor. Hutchinson, Sydney |
| 1978 | Australian Photography: a Contemporary View. Edited by Laurence Le Guay. Globe Publishing, Sydney |
| 1976 | Australian Photography. Edited by Laurence Le Guay. Globe Publishing, Sydney |
| 1970 | Camera in Australia. Edited by Allen G Gray. Reed Books, Sydney, for the Australian Photographic Society |
Positions held
| 1988 – 2022 | Judge, Heritage Photographic Award, Toowoomba |
| 1959 – 1990 | President, then Secretary of the Toowoomba Photographic Society |
| 1983 – 1984 | President of the Australian Photographic Society |
| 1971 – 1981 | Chairman of the Print Division of the Australian Photographic Society |
| 1960 – 1974 | Chairman of one National and six International Exhibitions |
Honours
| 2017 | SAPS – Service to the Australian Photographic Society |
| 2013 | PSQF – Fellowship of the Queensland Photographic Society |
| 2006 | FPSA – Fellowship of the Photographic Society of America |
| 2004 | OAM – Order of Australia Medal HAFB – Honorary Associateship of the Federation of Brazil |
| 2003 | FRPS – Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society |
| 1993 | PSQA – Associateship of the Queensland Photographic Society |
| 1992 | APSA – Associateship of the Photographic Society of America |
| 1989 | FAPS – Fellowship of the Australian Photographic Society |
| 1986 | Hon FAPS – Honorary Fellowship of the Australian Photographic Society |
| 1974 | AAPS – Associateship of the Australian Photographic Society |
| 1969 | EFIAP – Excellence of the International Federation of Photographic Art |
| 1967 | ARPS – Associateship of the Royal Photographic Society |
| 1960 | AFIAP – Associateship of the International Federation of Photographic Art |
Prizes, Awards & Grants
| 2004 | Medal of the Order of Australia for Services to Photography |
| 1997 | Winton Acquisitive Award Ilford/Anitec Award |
| 1996 | Regional Art Development Board Grant, Toowoomba Musswellbrook Acquisitive Award |
| 1994 | Gold Award – Vigex International Exhibition, Geelong |
| 1988 | Gold Award – Sydney International Exhibition Gold Award – Bicentenary International Exhibition, Geelong |
| 1986 | Queensland Art Gallery Grant – Supported by the Commissioning Programme of the Australian Bicentennial Authority |
| 1982 | Caltex Award |
| 1980 | Commonwealth Australia Day Award |
| 1978 | Arts Medal – Royal Photoclub Entre Nous, Belgium |
| 1974 | Commonwealth Medal for Amateur Photography |
| 1964 | Australian Photo Review – Recognition Medal |
PHOTO: Mikaela Burstow 2020