Portia Geach

Portia Swanston Geach (24 December 1873, Melbourne – 5 October 1959, Sydney) was an Australian artist and feminist. She was a founder and a president of the New South Wales Housewives' Association, as well as a president of the Federal Association of Australian Housewives. The Portia Geach Memorial Award, established by a legacy from Geach's sister, is Australia's most significant prize for Australian female portrait artists.

Life and education Portia Geach was born on 24 December 1873 and became the fifth surviving child of Cornish parents Edwin Geach, warehouseman and draper, and his wife Catherine, née Greenwood. In 1895 she won second prize for painting from the nude. In 1896 she went to London becoming the first Australian to win a tuition scholarship to the Royal Academy School. She studied there for four years till 1900 under Lawrence Alma-Tadema, John Singer Sargent and other masters.

Starting from 1922 Geach lived in the family house at Cremorne Point in Sydney, until she moved with her sister Florence Katherine to an apartment in The Astor in Macquarie Street in Sydney.

Portia Geach died on 5 October 1959 at her home in Sydney. She also painted murals, including murals in New York around 1917.

Geach Place, in the Canberra suburb of Chisholm, is named in her honour.

Portia Geach Memorial Award After Geach's death her estate was left to her sister Florence Kate, who died in 1962 and provided in her will for an annual prize of £1000 for a portrait by a woman artist. National Trust S. H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney, NSW Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW WA State Parliament House Art Collection, Perth, WA National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT Cruthers Collection of Women's Art at the University of Western Australia Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale, VIC