The Australian Cartoonists' Association (ACA) is the Australian professional

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...

s' organisation and was established on 17 July 1924 as the Society of Australian Black and White Artists. It was the first association of newspaper artists in the world. It soon became The Black and White Artists Society; and, by 1938, its name had been changed to The Black and White Artists Club.''Sydney Morning Herald'' 6 August 1938
/ref> By 1939, it had a sketching division and an etching division. In 2024, a collection of artworks were put on display in the exhibit "A Century of Satire" at

State Library of New South Wales The State Library of New South Wales, part of which is known as the Mitchell Library, is a large heritage-listed special collections, reference and research library open to the public and is one of the oldest libraries in Australia. Establis ...

to celebrate 100 years since the Black & White Artists Club began.

First clubrooms

The Association's first clubrooms were at 250 George Street, Sydney.

Founding members

Founding members were Reg Russom, Unk White, Syd Nicholls, Jack Quayle, John Wiseman, Jack Baird, Joe Jonsson, Cyril Samuels, Frank Jessop, Brodie Mack, Mick Paul, Harry J Weston, Jack Waring, Syd Miller,

Arthur Mailey Alfred Arthur Mailey (3 January 188631 December 1967) was an Australian cricketer who played in 21 Test matches between 1920 and 1926. Mailey used leg-breaks and googly bowling, taking 99 Test wickets, including 36 in the 1920–21 Ashes se ...

, F H Cumberworth, Fred Knowles and Cecil Hartt, who was elected president.

Other notable members

* Jules Faber (elected president 2009) * Alex Gurney

Hall of Fame

Jimmy Bancks James Charles Bancks (10 May 1889 – 1 July 1952), commonly J. C. Bancks, was an Australian cartoonist and commercial artist, water and illustrator best known for his comic strip ''Ginger Meggs''. Biography James Charles Bancks was born in En ...

(1889–1952) – creator of ''

Ginger Meggs ''Ginger Meggs'', created in 1921 by Jimmy Bancks, is one of Australia's most popular and the longest-running comic strip. The strip follows the escapades of a red-haired prepubescent mischief-maker who lives in an inner suburban working-class ...

'' * Stanley Cross (1888–1977) – creator of '' The Potts'' and '' Wally and the Major'' * Will Dyson (1880–1938) – political cartoonist (''

Bulletin Bulletin or The Bulletin may refer to: Periodicals (newspapers, magazines, journals) * ''Bulletin'' (online newspaper), a Swedish online newspaper * ''The Bulletin'' (Australian periodical), an Australian magazine (1880–2008) ** Bulletin De ...

'', ''

Melbourne Punch ''Melbourne Punch'' (from 1900, simply titled ''Punch'') was an Australian illustrated magazine founded by Edgar Ray and Frederick Sinnett, and published from August 1855 to December 1925. The magazine was modelled closely on '' Punch'' of Lon ...

'', '' Daily Herald'') *

Ken Emerson Kenneth Albert Emerson (9 July 1927 – 12 February 2010) was an Australian cartoonist and comic strip creator. He is best known for writing the comic strips ''The Warrumbunglers'The Warrumbunglers'' title is sometimes written with a hyphen ...

(1927–2010) – creator of ''On The Rocks'' and ''The Warrumbunglers'' *

George Finey George Edmond Finey (16 March 1895 – 8 June 1987) was an Australian black-and-white artist, noted for his unconventional appearance and left-wing politics. He was born on 16 March 1895 in Parnell, New Zealand. While working as an apprentice l ...

(1895–1987) – cartoonist (''

Smith's Weekly ''Smith's Weekly'' was an Australian tabloid newspaper published from 1919 to 1950. It was an independent weekly published in Sydney, but read all over Australia. History The publication took its name from its founder and chief financer Sir ...

'') *

May Gibbs Cecilia May Gibbs Order of the British Empire, MBE (17 January 1877 – 27 November 1969) was an Australian children's author, illustrator, and cartoonist. She is best known for her gumnut babies (also known as "bush babies" or "bush fairies"), ...

(1877–1969) – author and illustrator * Alex Gurney (1902–1955) – creator of '' Bluey and Curley'' * Jeff Hook (1928–2018) – editorial cartoonist for the '' Hobart Mercury'', ''

Herald Sun The ''Herald Sun'' is a Conservatism, conservative daily tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia, published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Corp Australia, itself a subsidiary of the American Rupert Murdoch, Murd ...

'' * Eric Jolliffe (1907–2001) – creator of ''Witchetty's Tribe'' and ''Saltbush Bill'' * Percy Leason (1889–1959) – early political cartoonist (''

'', ''

'') * Vane Lindesay (1920–) – cartoonist, author and cartoon historian *

Norman Lindsay Norman Alfred William Lindsay (22 February 1879 – 21 November 1969) was an Australian artist, etcher, sculptor, writer, art critic, novelist, cartoonist and amateur boxing, boxer. One of the most prolific and popular Australian artists of hi ...

(1879–1969) – acclaimed artist, sculptor and cartoonist * David Low (1891–1963) – political cartoonist and caricaturist * Phil May (1864–1903) – caricaturist * Emile Mercier (1901–1981) – editorial cartoonist for '' The Mirror'' *

Pat Oliphant Patrick Bruce "Pat" Oliphant (born 24 July 1935) is an Australian-born American artist whose career spanned more than sixty years. His body of work primarily focuses on American and global politics, culture, and corruption; he is particularly k ...

(1935– ) – 1967

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

winner *

Bruce Petty Bruce Leslie Petty (23 November 1929 – 6 April 2023) was an Australian political satirist, sculptor and cartoonist.

(1929–2023) – political cartoonist and animator * Ron Tandberg (1943–2018) – editorial cartoonist for ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'' * Monty Wedd (1921–2012) – creator of ''Captain Justice'', ''Ned Kelly'' and ''Ben Hall'' comic strips

ACA presidents

Stanley Awards

The Stanley Awards are issued annually by the Australian Cartoonists' Association and recognise the best of Australian

s and cartooning.

Gold Stanley Award

The ACA's ultimate credit to a cartoonist is the Gold

Stanley Award The Stanley Awards, also known as The Stanleys, are an annual comics award issued by the Australian Cartoonists' Association which recognize the best of Australian cartoonists and cartooning. They are named after Stan Cross and were first organi ...

(named after Australian cartoonist Stan Cross, who was a longtime president of the ACA). Previous recipients of the award are:

Jim Russell Award

The Jim Russell Award, formerly the Silver Stanley Award, (named after Australian cartoonist Jim Russell), given to individuals or organisations who, in the opinion of the ACA Board, has made a significant contribution to Australian cartooning. Previous recipients of the award are:

Footnotes

References

A Fleet Souvenir, ''The Sydney Mail'', (Wednesday, 29 July 1925), p3.

External links

Australian Cartoonists' Association
– official website
The Stanleys
* Lindesay, Vane, ''Drawing from Life: A History of the Australian Black and White Artists' Club'', State Library of New South Wales Press, (Sydney), 1994. {{Animation industry in Australia Australian cartoonists Australian cartooning Comics-related organizations Australian artist groups and collectives 1924 establishments in Australia Arts organizations established in 1924