Andor Mészáros

Andor Mészáros (1 September 1900 – 1 May 1972) was a Hungarian-Australian architect, sculptor, and medallist.

Early life and education Andor Mészáros was born on 1 September 1900 in Budapest, Hungary, the son of lawyer Alexander Mészáros and his wife, sculptor Bertha née Grünsberg.

He attended high school in Budapest and served in the Hungarian cavalry in 1918. the bronze figure Christ Accepts His Cross for the All Saints Anglican Church in Brisbane in 1962; and a group of figures for the Supreme Court in Darwin in 1964, which sparked some controversy.

Medals In between his sculptural commissions, Mészáros designed over 1000 medals, including an honorary medal for the Victorian Artists Society in 1947, the Olympic Games Participants' Medal in 1956, the "Pattern Swan Dollar" (also known as the Goose Dollar) in 1967, and The Vietnam Medal for ANZAC soldiers in the Vietnam War in 1968.

He designed the inaugural ANZAAS Medal for the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science in 1965. He also created portrait medals of figures such as David Rivett (c. 1966), Howard Florey (1963), and Robert Menzies (1969).

Other work In 1945, Mészáros illustrated Frederick Oswald Barnett's book I Hear the Tramp of Millions.

Recognition In 1951, Mészáros won the top prize at the International Medal Exhibition in Madrid, Spain, and in 1964, he received a Purchase Prize at the International Medal Competition in Arezzo, Italy.

Other roles and activities Mészáros served as president of the Victorian Sculptors' Society from 1954 to 1955 and from 1962 to 1963, and from 1967 to 1969, he was the first president of the Association of Sculptors of Victoria.

He was a member of the International Federation of Medallists and the Amici Della Medaglia in Italy. and his granddaughter Anna Meszaros is a sculptor.

Mészáros died on 1 May 1972 in South Melbourne and was cremated. A portrait of Mészáros painted in 1961 by L. Scott Pendlebury is in the possession of the family.

The Association of Sculptors of Victoria awards the Andor Meszaros Prize every two years.