1866, Brisbane – 1950, Brisbane

Born in Brisbane of Irish descent, Edward Colclough (pronounced Coke-ley) studied drawing under Joseph A Clarke and worked in the life drawing department of the Brisbane Central Technical College from c.1879 to 1882. A keen photographer, Colclough worked for the public service from 1883. He was secretary of the Queensland Art Society (1899–1903), a member of the New Society of Artists (1904–16), and a member of the Queensland Authors and Artists Association (1921–31). In 1923, he won the competition — open to Queensland artists as part of Brisbane’s centenary — for the best painting illustrating the discovery of the Brisbane River. Colclough was appointed a trustee of the Queensland National Art Gallery in 1930, a position he held for 20 years.