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About Ralph
Ralph Weppner, born 1903 in Colbinabbin in Victoria moved as a young lad with his family to Queensland, where his father selected a block north of Wandoan. On his family's return to Melbourne, he stayed in Toowoomba.
He
apprenticed as a signwriter and then started his own business Weppner Signs
as a signwriter, specialising in pictorial work during the depression.
This work always reflected his artistic talents, and led
to his becoming a foundation member of the Toowoomba Art Club, forerunner
of the Toowoomba Art Society, of which he was president or secretary over
many years.
The Artist
Ralph
Weppner (1903 - 1961) was a sensitive man, appalled by the misery
so many suffered during the depression. It is typical of him that
he showed that he was conscious of the destructive forces at work in the
landscape, trees being cleared to be replaced by ugly electric poles seen
in some of his paintings. He recorded historical scenes in his paintings
with the "Bulls
Head Inn", "Toowoomba
First House" and "Prince
Henry Drive".
He used many different mediums of painting with oil, charcoal and watercolour. Many examples of these are included in the War and Gallery sections.
Ralph painted with well-known artists; Kenneth MacQueen, William Bustard, Melville Hayson and Herb Carstens, and was a member of the Royal Queensland Art Society, the Half Dozen, and Marburg Group. He worked in all mediums, but early works were usually oils of the Darling Downs and Toowoomba, many of which are of historical interest. Later he developed as an exceptionally fine water colourist, showing a sensitive feeling for the medium. He was one of the early trustees that Toowoomba Art Gallery, and his painting of Prince Henry Drive, now included in the City Collection, was presented to the then Mayor, Ald. J. D. Annand, to mark his 21years as Mayor.
In 1957 he was selected to exhibit in an Australian Exhibition in London, his paintings representative of Queensland art at that time. His paintings are in many collections including the Royal Queensland Art Gallery, Toowoomba City Art Collection, and in private collections throughout Australia, America and England.
The Army
Ralph
served as a Major with the Toowoomba based 25th Battalion in New Guinea,
including a period as acting Commanding Officer.
(Pictured back right of the photo)
Some of his paintings hung in the 25th Battalion headquarters and now in the museum of the Battalion. Of particular interest are his New Guinea sketches and paintings, many of which were completed after his return to Australia from drawings made during the war.
In
one Battle on Bougainville Island during World War II, at Slaters Knoll,
a small group of Diggers beat off a Japanese attack in which they were outnumbered
12-1. "The success of the operation was the siting of the machine
guns under Weppner's plan to give enfilade fire on semi-fixed lines along
the wire".
The Positive Thinker
Ralph
actively studied and lived memory and positive thinking techniques. He was
a PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) Science of Success course student and was
mentioned in a book called "Success through a Positive Mental Attitude"
(STPMA) by Napoleon Hill and W. Clemment Stone.
He quoted on a brochure "This Philosophy of Success" for the book (STPMA) "He believes Australians still have the pioneer spirit, do not seek something for nothing, and can do anything they decide to. He persuaded us that this book should reach every person who seemed ambitious".
One of Ralph's sayings was "If you look for all the good in your life you will not have time to find the bad".
Other Information
Music
Music was as important a part of his life as painting, and Ralph
often created paintings on stage whilst singing appropriate descriptive
songs. He was twice Queensland Bass Champion, and was soloist with
the Toowoomba Philharmonic Society, and designed and created sets for all
their early costume musical productions. He was a life member of the
Society.
Community
Always community minded, Ralph was a long time member of the Rotary
Club of Toowoomba, and Chamber of Commerce, and served terms as President
of both.
Politics
At
age 46, Ralph ran for local member for North Toowoomba as a Liberal candidate
"Turn out the Socialists". He was married with two children and
had lived in Toowoomba for 34 years.
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