Harold Parker

Queenslanders (Daniel and Jane Parker, the sculptor’s parents) 1921

Harold Parker was one of Australia’s most highly regarded sculptors, and one of a small group of Queensland artists working at the turn of the twentieth century to develop an international reputation during their career. Born in Aylesbury, England, Parker came to Australia when he was three years old. As a young adult he studied drawing and modelling at the Brisbane Technical College.

Parker learnt how to carve from local woodcarver Cuthbert Vickers, and from 1889 to 1895 regularly won prizes for his carving at Brisbane’s annual Royal National Association exhibitions. In 1896, Parker moved to London where he studied sculpture. He developed an interest in the work of Auguste Rodin. He began to exhibit at the prestigious Royal Academy in London in 1903, and later at the Paris Salon.  In 1908, London’s Tate Gallery purchased his life-size marble of Ariadne. During his London career, Parker made a number of visits to Australia and in 1930 returned to Brisbane, where he lived until his death in 1962.