Feature - Jim Cox - Artist, Environmentalist, Activist

by Doug Patterson, Montville History Group

Part 1 - Born in Melbourne 1939, resident Montville artist Jim Cox’s early years played a major role in shaping his adult life.

Growing up in the inner-city suburb of Hawksburn, Jim Cox realised at a very early age that there were just no native animals in his immediate environment. There were plenty of cats and dogs roaming the streets and occasionally, a fox prowled at night.

He identified seven different birds but they were all introduced. He developed a passion for knowing more about Australian wildlife; a passion that took him to his local library, only two miles away, every Saturday where he borrowed five wildlife books at a time.

(Much to his disgust, five was the limit he could borrow at any one time.)

Jim’s father was away for the war years and after the war, like many vets, had trouble adjusting back to domestic life. His mum became the primary bread winner and Jim stepped up to help her by preparing the vegetables for dinner. This gradually grew to putting them on, then finally cooking the meal for the family.

His interest in food preparation still exists and Jim’s marmalades and chutneys are very popular at the Montville markets.

“My mum could see potential in my early art work and enrolled me in Saturday classes offered by the Melbourne Gallery School while I was still in primary school,” shared Jim.

When Jim finished his primary schooling, he was accepted by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) to complete a five-year Diploma of Commercial Illustration at 13 years of age. 

“The course was made up of four years of study with a final year in an industry placement,” Jim said, “and at 18, I was called up for National Service, but this was deferred soI  could complete the compulsory industry placement.”

Eventually the basic training was at Puckapunyal, then Albury Wodonga, returning to Melbourne and being on-call for two years with camps and parades.

Jim went looking for jobs that would give him as wide an experience as possible in commercial art design. His goal was to become an art teacher. He worked for a range of businesses including Containers Ltd, Massey Ferguson, Australia Post and ISA, a hovercraft production company based in Adelaide and Sydney.

Jim married Marion in 1964 and they had three children, all born in Melbourne. 

Jim’s favourite employment was with Australia Post. “It had a wide range of artistic requirements for me to master and some perks picking up some part-time commissions, which were possibly more interesting,” Jim said. 

One included work for the boss’s son; designing and constructing theatrical props for the young playwright, David Williamson. He was also part of a committee, representing the commercial arts industries, that oversaw the design of the new Melbourne Art Gallery.

“These various work opportunities gave me diverse experiences in design and promotions, and a good look at other Australian cities,” Jim said.

In Adelaide one of his commissions was designing material for a famous ‘Massage Parlour’. 

He left Adelaide in 1969 to take up a teaching position at Queensland College of Art in 1970. A Diploma of Teaching, was required and Jim completed this through Mt Gravatt CAE while at QCA. During this time Jim was responsible for organising ‘Momentum 74’, the Official Launch of the Morningside College as the new College of Art.

In 1974 Jim was transferred to Townsville along with Robert Preston, to establish an art course within Townsville City Campus of TAFE. Jim saw it as a great opportunity and loved the adventures, being able to explore the tropics.

“At the time, the art scene in Townsville was very conservative and my more innovative approaches caused some confrontations,” Jim explained with a wry smile. 

When criticism of his teaching reached parliament, TAFE was pressured to have him inspected. The result not only exonerated Jim, it recognised him as one of TAFE’s best teachers.

Jim’s move to Townsville resulted in his re-engagement with environmental issues. The Townsville Common had been so degraded by illegal dumping and four-wheel driving that the native wildlife was seriously at risk. 

Jim was instrumental in forming the Natural History Association to defend the Town Common, becoming its inaugural President. One of his first acts was to collaborate with a visiting researcher from the University of Illinois, Dr Ursula (Sue) Rowlett, to publish a book, Water Plants of the Townsville Town Common, with Jim providing the essential, detailed illustrations.

Although his work was pro bono, the book was such an outstanding success it led to Jim developing close relationships with local National Parks and Wildlife Rangers and illustrating more books.

Working closely with Park Rangers Jim helped plan re-vegetation programs and walks. “On one occasion, I helped rangers relocate barramundi trapped in a borra pit created by the American Airforce during World War 2. They needed to extend the runway, digging huge holes to get the extra soil they needed,” said Jim.

“These filled with brackish water in no time providing an ideal environment for barramundi, however in big droughts, the holes began to dry up.

“The knee-deep water left couldn’t support adult fish and relocating them to a nearby creek was back-breaking work but the only option.” 

Marion had created a very successful career in Special Ed and in 1989 a promotion saw her posted to Brisbane so Jim also applied for a transfer. He was appointed to introduce a short introductory program to the new Gateway TAFE.

This would give students a ‘Certificate of Art’, which facilitated entry to the QCA Diploma program. Jim met Pam Magdefrau in 1989 when she was asked to assess the staff and facilities of the newly formed Ceramic Dept. at Gateway TAFE.

Pam was a very successful full-time potter and a part-time consultant for TAFE. Pam joined a steering Committee developing programs for the Ceramics Dept becoming friends with the Ceramics Staff. 

At the end of 1989, Marion tragically drowned, attempting to save a tourist in trouble swimming off Stradbroke Island. Three people drowned that day.

Jim’s friends rallied around to support him. He busied himself completing a BA at QCA and threw himself into his teaching. Gateway College quickly gained a solid reputation with QCA for preparing students extremely well for further studies, and Jim’s life was about to change course once again.

Next month: 

Jim Cox and artist Pam Magdefrau get to know each other, travel far and wide, find Montville and instigate an artist collective.