Valma Howell
Encyclopedia
Valma Ondine Howell was an Australian artist of pastoral watercolours of western Victoria
and actor.
, where she was to spend most of her life. The first 14 years of her life were spent with her family on her father's sheep grazing property 'Dookerimbut' between Beaufort and Skipton in western Victoria. She boarded at Ruyton Girls' school in Melbourne during the 1910s. During the Depression she worked as a housekeeper at 'Mooramong' sheep station near Skipton. It was here she later befriended the Hollywood silent screen star Claire Adams
wife of D.J.S. (Scobie) Mackinnon, then chairman of the VRC
.
, lived with her for many years on Stockyard Hill Rd, where they maintained a bush block famous for its kangaroo grass woodland. She was the great-granddaughter of Captain Charles Swanston
, East India Company employee and Port Phillip Association investor. She was briefly married to fellow actor Joff Ellen
.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and actor.
Early years
Valma Ondine Howell was born in BeaufortBeaufort, Victoria
Beaufort is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Western Highway midway between Ararat and Ballarat, in the Pyrenees Shire local government area. It is 387 metres above sea level. At the 2001 census, Beaufort had a population of 987...
, where she was to spend most of her life. The first 14 years of her life were spent with her family on her father's sheep grazing property 'Dookerimbut' between Beaufort and Skipton in western Victoria. She boarded at Ruyton Girls' school in Melbourne during the 1910s. During the Depression she worked as a housekeeper at 'Mooramong' sheep station near Skipton. It was here she later befriended the Hollywood silent screen star Claire Adams
Claire Adams
Claire Adams was a Canadian silent film actress and benefactor. She was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as the daughter of Stanley Wells Adams, a Welsh-born accountant, and his Canadian wife, Lillian Adams...
wife of D.J.S. (Scobie) Mackinnon, then chairman of the VRC
Victoria Racing Club
The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. It was formed following the disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club. A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual “race that stops a nation”, the Melbourne Cup, which was first contested in 1861.From its...
.
Career
Valma Ondine Howell's most famous subjects include the Fiery Creek catchment and the Yalla-Y-Poora property. Her one known film role is in the film Night Club (1952); one of only a handful of films made in Melbourne in that decade. After a trip to India in 1955, which she undertook to clear up her father's estate, her art began to include the human form and non-realist representation. Her sister, the poet and author Ada Verdun HowellAda Verdun Howell
Ada Verdun Howell was an Australian author and poet. Born in Beaufort, Victoria, on her father's sheep property, she was educated at Ruytons Girls' School. Her sister was the artist Valma Howell. She lived in New York in the latter part of her life where she wrote most of her most famous works...
, lived with her for many years on Stockyard Hill Rd, where they maintained a bush block famous for its kangaroo grass woodland. She was the great-granddaughter of Captain Charles Swanston
Charles Swanston
Charles Swanston merchant, banker and politician was a financial backer of the Port Phillip Association. He was born in Berwick upon Tweed, England the son of Robert and Rebecca Swanston...
, East India Company employee and Port Phillip Association investor. She was briefly married to fellow actor Joff Ellen
Joff Ellen
Joff Ellen was an Australian entertainer, actor and comedian.During World War II he performed vaudeville acts to the troops and after the war did comedy shows on Melbourne radio station 3XY...
.