Garnet Agnew (1886-1951)

Garnet Agnew (1886 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia – Brisbane, Australia 1951) was an illustrator for 'The Brisbane Courier' and its weekly magazine, 'The Queenslander Illustrated Weekly', creating cover illustrations for these publications between 1926 and 1930. In 1924 he was a foundation member of the Society of Australian Black and White Artists. His other mediums included oils, watercolour and lino-cuts. Agnew painted murals on the walls of the West Coast Hotel in Cooktown.

He lived part of his childhood at Dunwich, North Stradbroke Island before moving to Sydney in the early 1920s. In 1926 he returned to Brisbane as the staff artist for ‘The Courier Mail’. He created a number of linocuts, including this one of Tommy Nuggin.

Tommy Nuggin lived at Amity as was one of the last surviving people to be transferred to Stradbroke Island from Moreton Island. He had a son called Gurriwurribah and Garnet Agnew also painted him and there is an illustration in ‘The Queensland Annual’ October 1, 1930 p. 55 with a short article about both Tommy and his son.

Tommy Nuggin was for a time a member of the Queensland Native Police and was stationed in Brisbane. He later retired to the Myora Mission and was well known to everyone who lived on North Stradbroke Island.

Garnet Agnew, ‘Old Tommy’ c 1924, lino-cut printed in one colour, 21.8 x 16.1cm, signed ‘Garnet Agnew’; Monogram ‘A’ incised in block