John Henry Absalom (1927 - 2019)

Born 11 Nov 1927 in Port Augusta, South Australia, Australia

Ancestors

Died 22 Mar 2019 at age 91 in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Jack Absalom is Notable.

Jack Absalom OAM was an Australian artist, author, miner, Aussie Bushman and adventurer.

John Henry 'Jack' Absalom was born on 11th November 1927 in Port Augusta, South Australia, Australia. ^[1] He was the son of John Munro Absalom and Bridget unknown. He was brought up in Nullarbor, west of Port Augusta, and from an early age developed a wide knowledge of the Australian outback from Indigenous Australians (Aboriginals) who existed in tribes at that time.

He worked in the North Mine at Broken Hill, New South Wales, where he resided since 1953.

In 1972, Jack made a trip to the Flinders Ranges with a group of artists. Although he had never painted before, he felt a great urge to paint the landscape and a natural talent was discovered. He was one of the members of the Brushmen of the Bush – a group of five artists who exhibited for many years in Australia and all over the world raising money for charity. In April 1997, he opened his gallery in Broken Hill which showcased his oil paintings, prints, publications, DVDs and his opal collection. Each year Jack went into the Australian outback for two months to paint.

Jack published several books, including:

• Absalom's Outback Paintings, 1983, ISBN 978-0-86788-005-2.
• Safe Outback Travel, 1988, ISBN 978-0-86788-028-1.
• Jack Absalom's Barbecue Cookbook, 1990, ISBN 978-0-86788-184-4.
• Absalom: Paintings 1972-1996', 1996, ISBN 978-0-646-28427-9.
• Outback Cooking in the Camp Oven, 1997, ISBN 978-0-86788-281-0.
• Jack Absalom's Gallery, 2003, ISBN 978-0-646-42961-8.

He also starred in a number of television series produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) covering survival techniques and video documentaries on the Australian outback, including Absalom's Outback, when he traveled to remote outback locations in a Chrysler Sigma.

Jack was the recipient of various awards, including Australian Achiever of the Year Award 1988 and the Advance Australia Award in 1995, both acknowledging his contribution to art; Broken Hill Citizenship Award for his promotion of Broken Hill; and Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2006 for 'service to the visual arts as a painter and to the community through fundraising for a range of charitable organisations.' ^[2]

Aged 91 years, Jack passed away on 22nd March 2019 in Broken Hill and is interred in the Broken Hill Cemetery. ^[3]
Find A Grave: Memorial #198333159

Sources

1. ↑ South Australia Birth Registration 202A/428/1927; registered at Frome
2. ↑ Australian Honours; accessed 15 Sep 2021
3. ↑ Find-a-Grave

See also

• Jack Absalom website; accessed 15 Sep 2021.
• Wikipedia: Jack Absalom; accessed 15 Sep 2021.