Name

James Flett

Other names

Flett, J.

Flett, James E.

JEF.

Culture

Australian

Gender

Male

Birth date

9 May 1906

Birth place

Dunolly, Victoria, Australia View on map Close map

Death date

3 October 1986

Death Place

Glen Waverley, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia View on map Close map

Occupations

Artist (painter) | Historian | Printmaker

Summary

Worked: Australia (VIC). Linocuts, Etchings

NGA IRN

17504

Context

Australia

Biography

James Flett moved from the Victorian goldfields to Melbourne and began two years of study at the National Gallery School in 1926. A competent painter he was influenced by Norman Lindsay and the watercolours of Blamire Young. He began printmaking in 1928 producing linocuts, woodcuts and a small number of etchings. His relief prints were often large and colourful. Napier Waller taught him how to register colour blocks. He produced a series of linocuts on the suject of Pirates. Originally exhibited and sold separately, in 1931 the Sydney publisher Frank Johnson persuaded Flett to let him publish them in a book with an introduction by Blamire Young. Pirates, featured six full page colour linocuts. In the 1930s he also printed for artists including Megan Thomas, Noel Counihan and Maurice Carter. He later produced some unauthorised editions.
In 1932 he travelled to England on a study tour. During the early 1930s Flett worked as a commercial artist for Patons Advertising Company in Melbourne. At that time he also produced a number of etchings of Melbourne public schools and prominent people. For a period of time in the late 1930s he was without an etching press and his etchings were printed by Will Eager on his small press. Flett was commissioned as an official war artist iun 1945 serving in Asia. Later he published several books on the history of the Victorian gold fields. His press is in the collection of the Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement.

Last Updated

18 Jun 2026