Julian Howard Ashton

Infobox Person
name = Julian Howard Ashton
birth_date = 09 August, 1877
birth_place = Islington, London, England
death_date = 30 April, 1964
death_place = New South Wales, Australia
residence = Sydney, Melbourne
nationality = English
occupation = Writer,journalist, artist, critic
spouse = Mary Ethel Roberts
children = Three songs, one daughter
parents = Julian Rossi Ashton ("father"), Mary Ethel Roberts ("mother")

Julian Howard Ashton (9 August 1877 — 30 April 1964) was a British journalist, writer, artist and critic. Ashton was most notable for his short stories in "The Bulletin", however due to success of this, he began selling his paintings at art galleries, and then began writing for British magazines such as "Pall Mall Gazette" and "Chambers's Journal". He also drew portraits for the "Sydney Daily Telegraph", in his late teenage years/early adulthood.

Born in Islington, London, England, Ashton only lived in London for a short period of his life. Before his first birthday, his family moved to Sydney, Australia.

Ashton became a junior shipping reporter of "The Sydney Morning Herald", however, two years later, he moved to Melbourne, where he was given the position of "reporter" by Argus, and given the title of music critic in 1910. By his early twenties, Ashton had became a well known figure in the local media and newspaper companies, he was now writing music, literacy and art reviews, as well as criticism which he had written for a long time, however at this age, he was only 22, yet was a respected and dedicated member of magazines and newspapers companies etc. He resumed his criticism of music, and other arts in 1926, when he was made an associate editor.

Ashton had never worked as a full time artist; however despite this, in 1938 he won the "Sydney sesquicentenary prize for landscape drawings". Ashton was, as well as an artist, a musician who had been known to entertain guests and lodgers at his house; it was because of this that the suggestion of forming the first Sydney String Quartet was put forward.

Family

Ashton was the eldest child of Julian Rossi Ashton ("father"), who was also an artist during his life. Julian Rossi Ashton was married to Eliza Ann (née "Pugh"), who was his first wife, and mother of Ashton Jr. When attending his father's art school, Ashton Jr began a relationship with Mary Ethel Roberts, whom he later married. Together, they had three sons, and one daughter; however, Roberts died many years later in December 1945, so one month later, Ashton Jr resigned from "The Sun" in order to devote his time to painting and reading, as well as to be closer to his offspring.

Ashton died at age 86 in New South Wales.

References

* [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070117b.htm Australia Dictionary of Biography:] Online edition, for Ashton, Julian Howard. Retrieved on 01/10/2007