Mayoral Portraits, James Paterson, Georgette Peterson, 1909
Summary
James Paterson arrived in Melbourne in 1852 with only a few pounds in his pocket. After first trying his luck as a prospector on the gold fields, he worked as a teamster escorting gold consignments between Ballarat and Melbourne. Using the profits of this enterprise he was able to establish a coal importing business and acquire a fleet of ships. The business diversified into a bay towage, with a number of paddle steam tugs. He was a councillor from 1870 until 1885 and Mayor 1876-77. He is credited with working hard to have the Eastern Market reopened. In keeping with his concern for marine matters, his other public offices were with the Victorian Shipowners Association and the Marine Board of Victoria.
In 1983 this painting was donated by Mr. L.M. Masterson, the grandnephew of James Paterson, as a replacement for a full-length portrait believed painted in 1890 that burned in the Town Hall fire of 1925. It is unclear whether this portrait worked from that full-length portrait or some other likeness, possibly photographic.
Georgette Peterson (nee Lichtenstein) was born in Budapest in 1863. She studied music and painting at the Royal Budapest Academy, and music in Dresden and became a portrait painter, singer, pianist and composer of songs. In 1890 she married Franklin Peterson (1861-1914) in Edinburgh, Scotland. Between1884-1900 he was organist and choirmaster at Palmerston Place Church, Edinburgh, and in 1888, he was appointed a lecturer in music. The couple moved to Melbourne in 1901 after his appointment as a professor of music, University of Melbourne. In 1907 Georgette Peterson supplied the music for Ida and Annie Rentoul's Australian song book. She formed a choir at the university and in 1907, as choral conductor for the Australian Exhibition of Women's Work, prepared and conducted a 1300-voice women's choir. With a smaller women's choir she organized activities which raised popular and financial support for Melba Hall. She died in Dorset, England, on 19 April 1947.
