Coogee Media

Gerald Francis Lewers was a sculptor, construction engineer and partner in the construction and engineering company Farley & Lewers. Gerald was born on 1 July 1905 in Hobart, seventh of eight children of Robert David Lewers , a bank manager from Ireland, and his Tasmanian-born wife Maria Bispham. The family moved to Sydney's north shore in 1906. Even though he helped to found and run a large and successful construction and engineering company, Lewers studied and trained as an artist during his business career. His engineering background helped him to understand and manipulate some of the large pieces he executed in stone, wood and metal.

Significant Figures in Australian Art
Hettie Margaret Ernestine Lewers ("Margo"), was born in Mosman, Sydney in 1908, to Adolph Gustav Plate (1874-1913), a German-born grazier, seaman, writer and artist, and his English-born wife Elsie Gill. In the late 1920s she attended Antonio Dattilo-Rubbo's evening art classes where she met her future husband Gerald. She travelled to Europe with Gerald, and the Lewers' studied at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London in 1934 and 1935. Margo became an accomplished artist and successful designer in her own right.

Margo Lewers Tapestry "Wide Penetration", 1968
at National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

During his spare time Gerald Lewers carved animals and birds in wood and stone, creating a large number of realistic and semi-abstract sculptures. He retired from his firm in 1950 and, with his wife Margo devoted his energies to art and sculpture. In 1951 they moved to a property at Emu Plains, west of Sydney, which became a vibrant centre for art and culture, a meeting place of artists, writers and intellectuals. The Lewers were leading members of the Sydney Modernist artists' circle. It is obvious when reading of the Lewers, they operated as an artistic partnership, and it is sometimes difficult to assign a work to one of them singularly.

Because their work was on such a monumental scale, and tends to focus on publicly owned pieces completed on commission, the Lewers' work (particularly Gerald's) rarely appears in auction houses. However, as time goes one, people are seeing them as two of the most important figures in the 20th Australian art scene, and responsible for the introduction of modernism to Australian art and design. It is a pity that their work is sometimes forgotten or neglected by some public authorities and companies.

Margo & Gerald Lewers

Tragic Early Death
Tragically, while on a holiday at Chillagoe, Queensland, Gerald Lewers was thrown from a horse while helping a friend muster cattle on his property and fractured his skull. He died of a brain haemorrhage on 9 August 1962 at Cairns hospital, before his time, at only age 58. A major memorial exhibition was held at the Art Gallery of N.S.W. in 1963. At the request of Dr H. C. Coombs, the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Margo completed (1965) Gerald's design for a huge copper relief in the Reserve Bank, Canberra.

Margo Lewers continued to create and exhibit work up until her death in February 1978. She received one major retrospective, Margo Lewers Retrospective at S H Ervin Gallery in Sydney in 2002 and her work is collected by major Australian galleries. She was the subject of a winning Archibald Prize portrait in 1967 by Judy Cassab.

Gerald Lewers' sculpture of a pelican at Lewers Gallery
(Penrith Regional Gallery
86 River Rd, Emu Plains NSW 2750)

Lewers Bequest & Penrith Regional Gallery
The Emu Plains property and collection of artworks was offered to Penrith City Council and in 1981 the Lewers Bequest and Penrith Regional Art Gallery was opened.

The Lewers' original cottage and buildings have been converted into galleries and are the core of an expanded gallery precinct with modern galleries, cafe and an art library located just across the road from the Nepean River.

The Lewers' work is represented in most national and State galleries, as well as in regional and university collections.

Gerald Lewers was commissioned to produce exterior sculptures for a number of Commonwealth Bank buildings although archival material has not yet been discovered to indicate the extent of the commission. H. C. ("Nugget") Coombs, the then head of the Commonwealth Bank wanted to promote a partnership of the arts and commerce and was keen to see art incorporated in to public buildings and Lewers were among his proteges. One piece by Gerald Lewers is known to exist on a bank building in York Street Sydney.

Lewers Sculpture, York Street, Sydney

Commonwealth Bank Coogee
Some Coogee locals believe that the sandstone relief sculpture that was executed in the 1950s on the side of the Commonwealth Bank building facing Coogee Bay Road (No. 199- on the corner of Brook Street) was undertaken by Gerald Lewers. It bears a striking resemblance to Lewers' other work in terms of material, subjects and style, but without archival back-up, we cannot be certain.

Many are keen to see this important piece of public art preserved but it could face danger. A neon sign already defaces it, and the building was sold by the Bank to a local private investor in May 2021 for $11.2million, although the Bank leased the premises for three years and still operated from the premises. The Commonwealth Bank announced that it will not renew this lease and will close its Coogee Branch in March 2024.

The building itself is a striking piece of modernist architecture with an emphasis on geometric patterns and strong horizontal lines. The sculpture is one of the few pieces of public art in Coogee. The subjects, flowing environmental designs of sea life over a footprinted sandy shore, are perfect motifs for Coogee. It is hard not to notice the sculpture from the street.

The building encompasss 585 square metres of floor space and a 402 square metre block. It is zoned 'B2 Local Centre' with a 12 metre height limit. The site was acquired by the Bank on the 15 January 1947, a corner property with a 55 foot frontage to Coogee Bay Road, and a depth of 82 feet to Brook Street from Doctors Tunk & Gurney in exchange for the Bank's the existng premises at 230 Coogee Bay Road plus £4,000. The site included a brick block of flats and professional offices. New temporary accommodation for the bank was constructed in what was then the front lawn of the site.

By the end of 1946, the builders Stewart & Jones Pty Ltd of Blakehurst, had completed the major part of the current building. it was of masonry constructon with a flat cement roof and consisted of three varied levels. The Coogee Bay Road exterior sandstone frontage or north facing wall featured a wavy sculptured mural design imbedded in the rock, at a separate final cost of £437. Commonwealth Bank records do not show who was the designer or sculptor - but this is the piece we suspect was by Gerald Lewers.

"Lewers" Sculpture, Commonwealth Bank Building, Coogee

Commonwealth Bank Building, Coogee Bay Road, Coogee with "Lewers" Sculpture

Modernist Design
Typical of the design style of branch interiors at that time were the linoleum tiles which covered the interior walls and floors. In the banking chamber running along the bulkhead above the full length of the main counter which housed four teller's boxes, was an inlaid linoleum tile mural at a cost of £282 which was completed on 17 December 1956 by Tasman Cowell & Co Pty Ltd who had also supplied and fixed all the linoleum in the branch.

Panels of fluorescent lighting, fully enclosed in pressed plastic diffusers were featured in the pressed metal ceiling over the banking chamber. Lighting in the public space was provided by four 'modern' light fitings suspended from the high ceiling and each with six polished aluminium lamp holders interconnected by aluminium rods. Stainless steel was often used in preference to aluminium to guard against the harsh seaside consitions.

Gosford Fountain
Another important piece of public art by Gerald and Margo Lewers is at Burn Place, a small park in Gosford (near Gosford Railway Station). Entrance to the park is through a sandstone archway from Mann Street, the main thoroughfare in Gosford. It is a pleasant little urban oasis where people sit and eat lunch, wait for trains or buses, or just spend time outdoors. Unfortunately the fountain was not operating for some years. Once you enter the park, the large curved brass waterspout and the abstract design on the tile backing of the fountain is quite a beautiful sight.

Gerald & Margo Lewers' Fountain
Burn Place, Mann Street, Gosford NSW

The Fountain was commissioned in the 1960s by Gosford Rotary Club as a memorial "to all who had died for peace". Gerald Lewers was invited to create the fountain including the organic shaped copper scoop. Margo was invited to design the pool and wall mosaic. It was the Lewers' last commission before Gerald died. The back of the feature wall is made of grey Gosford sandstone with staggered steps to provide a pattern of water cascades. Margo Lewers can be heard describing the process of designing and creating the fountain in an oral history she undertook for the National Library of Australia in 1968.

The inscription reads: Rotary War Memorial Fountain. Opened by Mrs C. C. Margin, the gift of grateful donors as a symbol to those who died in their efforts to achieve lasting peace. Goodwill to all men. Arch McLachlan President. 1962-63. (See Note 1)

Gerald & Margo Lewers' Fountain
Burn Place, Mann Street, Gosford NSW
1960s view

In its heyday, water dramatically raced around the bronzed scoop into a shallow pool. I saw it operating about five years ago and thought it was a spectacularly beautiful work. It was a pity it was not working for so long. Not only does it add to the streetscape of Gosford's main street, it does, I am sure, attract people to the town to view an important work representing a fascinating period in the artistic development of the country.

When Gerald died, completing the Gosford project fell to Margo. Gerald had completed a drawing and a small model but Margot had to bring it to fruition. The fountain's hydraulics were problematic, with the water needing to hit the top of the brass bowl and follow its curve to the bottom. Gerald had made contact with the Hydraulics Department of Adelaide University in South Australia, and Margo and their daughter Darani had to often fly to Adelaide to consult with the engineers there, as well as the water research lab at Sydney University.

Gosford Restoration
In recent correspondence with Central Coast Council, in whose area Burn Park falls, they state that they were aware of the artistic importance of the fountain and its surrounds, and its connection to the Lewers. The Council has undertaken work to repair and conserve the fountain - probably why it looks so bright and beautiful at the moment. Engineers were consulted about repairing the fountain's pump. We recently re-visited the fountain in Gosford, and were delighted to see it in full operation again with water cascading around the brass bowl. There are also plans to install a plaque soon honouring the Lewers. Great news!

Sturt Gallery Gardens, Mittagong
On a recent visit to the Sturt Gallery which is located in the grounds of Frensham School (See Note 2), we came across a Gerald Lewers sculpture in the gallery's garden, a large curved stone bowl designed to be a bird bath. An accompanying plaque reads:

This Bird Bath and garden are in memory of Walter Herbert Friend 1877-1951, Arthur Topp 1877-1948, Margaret Topp 1886-1947, Anthony Kennedy 1920-1945. The bird bath was designed by Gerald Lewers.

Gerald Lewers sculpture at Sturt Gallery, Mittagong NSW

Sturt was founded in 1941 by Winifred West (1881-1971) when she retired as headmistress of Frensham, an independent secondary school for girls which she had established in 1913. It was named after her mother, Fanny West (nee Sturt), and located in the grounds and gardens of her cottage. Interested in the value of relationships between individuals and communities, the links between hand and mind and 'the development of individual talents and personalities', Miss West's intent was to provide further education in crafts, music and drama for children who had left Mittagong Primary School, and for adults seeking useful and creative skills. Largely financed by Miss West herself and through time and resources provided by friends, Sturt started with one building with just six girls learning spinning and weaving and two boys learning woodwork. By 1949, 150 children were enrolled. Today it is a vibrant centre for the arts and crafts.

A clue as to why this sculpture happened to be in the Sturt Gallery gardens, maybe is that the Lewers' daughters, Darani and Tanya, both boarded at Frensham School. Their daughters went on to have their own successful careers in the arts and remained dedicated to their mother's legacy.

Legacy
After Margot's death in 1978, her family fulfilled and extended her gift of her home and art collection to the people of NSW, creating the Penrith Regional Gallery and Lewers Bequest. The works of Gerald and Margot Lewers are represented in many important Australian public galleries and collections, as well as having a number of sculptures adding to the Australia's public art-scape. As research evolves, maybe the Coogee piece can be definatively added to that legacy.

Paul Convy

References