NEW ZEALAND STAR  was a refrigerated freighter owned by the Blue Star Line. Launched in 1935, she was one of the new Imperial class of 12,436 GRT refrigerated ships built expressly for shipping meat from South America, New Zealand and Australia. Blue Star Line was owned by the Vestey Brothers, Liverpool butchers on a grand scale. They controlled the British meat trade up untill the advent of the Common Market by producing beef off their overseas properties, shipping the carcases in their own ships and had their own chain of butchers shops throughout the United Kingdom. The ship was scrapped in 1967
A beautifully finished painting ot the NEW ZEALAND STAR steaming in Sydney harbour preparatory to her final voyage. The decks are full with passengers and it may have been a celebratelly cruise and party celebrating the long life of the ship. The harbour is a luminous blue with a bright sunny sky. Very colourful with a few yachts sailing along with the ship..
John Charles Allcot (1888-1973), artist, was born on 14 November 1888 at Liverpool, Lancashire, England, son of George Allcot, mariner, and his wife Mary Elizabeth. Educated at Arnot Street Board School, at the age of 14 John was apprenticed to Tillotson & Son Ltd, lithographers, and attended classes at the Liverpool Institute and School of Art. In 1906 he worked in the Mersey tugboats and next year sailed as a deck-boy in the barque, Invermark. He loved painting and would scrounge ship's paint, sailcloth and handkerchiefs with which to depict the sea, ships and life on board. Arriving in Sydney in the Miltiades in 1909, Allcot signed on with the old clipper, Antiope. He worked in coastal, island and intercolonial vessels out of Sydney before giving up the sea in 1912. Supporting himself by painting theatre sets, he obtained commissions for ship paintings from Sydney photographers and toured the countryside, completing landscapes which he exhibited regularly with the Royal Art Society of New South Wales from 1920. He gained widespread recognition in the 1920s with a series of oil paintings on the founding of the Australian colonies, which were later acquired by the Australasian Pioneers' Club. Other commissions followed. Allcot also worked as an illustrator and wrote articles about the sea for the Sydney Mail. In the 1940s he painted the seas for ship-models built by the sculptor Robert Klippel. Allcot's painting of the Cutty Sark was presented to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1954. Allcot was dark and diminutive, less than five feet (153 cm) tall. His studio became a meeting-place for those interested in ships, paintings and models. Regular visitors included maritime artists Oswald Brett and Ian Hansen who watched him work and listened to his colourful stories of seafaring. Allcot exhibited landscapes and still lifes at Beard, Watson & Co. Ltd (1962); his paintings of ships were shown at Underwood Galleries (1965) and those of twelve windjammers at the San Francisco Maritime Museum, United States of America (1969). In Sydney he held a successful exhibition (1970) at Proud's Art Gallery to celebrate the bicentenary of James Cook's landing in Australia; Allcot's last showing took place at the Copperfield Gallery (1973). Painting to tried and tested conventions, with impeccable attention to detail, Allcot used water-colour and gouache, and oils. His work was prolific and romantic. At a time of great change in the shipping industry, he specialized in nostalgic views of sailing ships and steamers, and found an appreciative market of ship-owners, captains, crews and their families. A Fellow (1956) of the local Royal Art Society, Allcot was a member of the League of Ancient Mariners and of the Shiplovers' Society. He was elected an honorary life member (1962) of the Australasian Pioneers' Club and appointed O.B.E. in 1970. His work is represented in private and public collections in Australia and abroad.
A beautifully finished painting ot the New Zealand Star steaming in Sydney harbour preparatory to her final voyage. The decks are full with passengers and it may have been a celebratelly cruise and party celebrating the long life of the ship. The harbour is a luminous blue with a bright sunny sky. Very colourful with a few yachts sailing along with the ship.
On verso a presentation label dated 1968. Also tickets and lot numbers from a previous sale by Christies in 2004.
Signed John Allcot bottom left.
390 x 495 mm. Sight line.
Framed.
Oil on canvas board.