1888, Sandgate, QLD – 1970, Brisbane

Frank Waldo (Wal) Potts was the son of a tailor with premises in Brisbane’s Queen Street, whose clients included the Governor of Queensland. Potts attended the Brisbane Central Technical College, where he was taught by R Godfrey Rivers. Serving in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during World War One, Potts met David McHaffie at the Enoggera Army Barracks and they became lifelong friends. When the war ended, Potts and McHaffie settled on a fruit farm at Flaxton on the Blackall Range. Like Kenneth Macqueen, Potts often painted scenes around his farm, which he exhibited at the Royal Queensland Art Society during the years 1926–66. When he retired to Woody Point, subjects from the Redcliffe Peninsula dominated his practice. Although he produced numerous oils, Potts is particularly known for the quality of his watercolours.