Tom Roberts

Imagine an artist who loved his new home so much, he wanted to paint everything about it! That was Tom Roberts. He was born in England but moved to Australia when he was a boy.

He became a super famous painter, like a storyteller with a paintbrush. He loved to paint big, important moments and everyday life in Australia. He even helped start a whole new way of painting called Australian Impressionism.

It was all about capturing the light and feeling of the land!

Tom didn't just start painting right away. First, he went to art school in a big Australian city called Melbourne. Then, he traveled all the way back to Europe to learn even more cool art tricks!

When he came back to Australia in 1885, he was full of new ideas. He and his friends set up art camps outdoors, where they could paint the sunshine and the trees. It was like a summer camp for artists!

They wanted to paint Australia as they saw it, with all its unique beauty.

Tom Roberts painted some of the most famous pictures of Australia. One of his most famous paintings is called 'Shearing the Rams'. It shows brave workers shearing sheep, which was a big part of Australian life.

He also painted a huge picture of the very first Australian Parliament meeting. It’s so big, it’s like looking at a giant movie screen of history! He wanted everyone to see and remember these important parts of Australia's story through his art.

Tom Roberts was like the leader of a group of artists called the Heidelberg School. He encouraged them to paint what they saw around them in Australia. He wanted them to show the real Australia, not just copy what artists in other countries were doing.

Because he was so determined, people called him 'Bulldog'! He believed Australian art should be about Australia itself. His paintings help us understand what life was like back then and why Australia is so special.