Aubrey Gerald Guy Dodd, known as Peter, was the second son of Goulburn publican Edward Clarence Dodd and his wife Kathleen Evelyn (Katie) nee Aubrey. Edward held the license for the Great Southern Hotel in Goulburn until 1916; in 1920 he took over the Great Western Hotel in Orange(1); the family moved to Cootamundra in 1921 when he took over the Albion Hotel license(2).
By 1929 Dodd was receiving instruction at the Sydney Commercial Art School; that year he exhibited ‘meritorious’ trade advertisements and a ‘pleasant little design with fish as the leading motive’(3). By 1934 he is reported as the Commercial Art School’s Vice-Principal, and took up the role of Principal after the retirement of Maude Russell in 1935(4). Around this time Dodd adopted the name Peter and began to be recognised for his participation in Sydney’s artistic circles. In 1936 he was Secretary and spokesperson for the newly-founded Sydney Students’ Art Service which advocated for the interests of emerging artists, and in 1938 he presented a discussion with photographer Max Dupain titled ‘The photographic approach to art’ to an audience from the Industrial Arts Society (5). Photographs by Max Dupain and Olive Cotton evidence Dodd’s acquaintance with them and their wider circle during the 1930s(6). In June 1939 Dodd married stage actress Una Hannah Cecilia Merkel, a daughter followed in May 1940 (7).
Dodd enlisted with the Australian Military Forces on 25 June 1941 and was called up for service on 8 July. Appointed to the Royal Australian Engineers as a Camouflage Officer at Lieutenant rank, Dodd was later seconded to the Australian Army Junior Tactical School as an instructor, and the School of Military Engineering as a Research and Training Officer. In July 1943 he was deployed for a short tour to New Guinea; upon his return in August was promoted to the rank of Captain. He continued service until his demobilisation in October 1945 (8).
Dodd and painter Justin O’Brien departed Sydney aboard the SS Largs Bay on 10 January 1948, arriving in London on 27 February. The pair undertook a painting expedition to Paris in December that year. Returning to Australia, Dodd designed and painted the frames for works in O’Brien’s solo exhibition at Macquarie Galleries in May 1950(9), and taught painting at the National Art School, Sydney. Throughout the 1950s he furnished exhibition reviews for Sydney tabloid The Sun, and less frequently the Bulletin, as well as presenting public lectures, and exhibiting work with the Contemporary Art SocietY, and the 1952 Blake Prize. he died in 1962.
At 2025, few examples of Dodd’s mature work are known. In 1937 the artist drew a representation of the Gocup firefighters for the frontispiece of an address which was presented to retiring Gocup postmistress and telephonist Moina McEvoy (). The following year, ‘highly original’ watercolours and oils by Dodd and Douglas Annand were displayed in David Jones Art Gallery alongside the first exhibition of the Contemporary Camera Group (). Dodd’s contribution to the 1947 Contemporary Art Society exhibition, titled ‘Annunciation’, was backhandedly described as ‘possibly the best work Justin O’Brien never painted’ (). Works by Dodd can be identified by the inscription 'Peter Dodd’ or 'AG Dodd’.
(1) ‘General News’, National Advocate (Bathurst), Monday 26 July 1920, p. 2.
(2) ‘Local and General’, The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser, Tuesday 27 September 1921, p. 2.
(3) ‘Commercial Art Students’, Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday 23 November 1929, p. 12; ‘Youthful Artists’, The Sun (Sydney), Sunday 24 November 1929, p. 5.
(4) ‘Gay Costumes’, Daily Telegraph (Sydney), Wednesday 29 August 1934, p. 11.
(5) ’Giving Art Away’, Daily Telegraph (Sydney), Friday 14 August 1936, p. 2; “Rally to Free Art Plan’, Daily Telegraph (Sydney), Saturday 15 August 1936, p. 2; ‘Art Students. Move to Approach Public’, Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday 15 August 1936, p. 23; ‘Students to Meet in Park’, Daily Telegraph (Sydney), Thursday 10 September 1936, p. 8; ‘Art Tour Scheme’, Daily Telegraph (Sydney), Saturday 21 November 1936, p. 4; ‘Art with a Small “A”’, Daily Telegraph (Sydney), Tuesday 24 November 1936, p.6; ‘Young Artists. Stimulating Exhibition’, Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 24 November 1936, p. 3; ‘Art Students’, Sydney Morning Herald, Friday 18 December 1936, p. 8; ‘Photography and Art’, Sydney Morning Herald, Wednesday 8 June 1938, p. 9; ‘Gossipy Bits’, Daily Telegraph (Sydney), Thursday 9 June 1938, p. 10.
(6) State Library of New South Wales, ON 609/Box 08/nos. 600-601; PXA 28; PXA 2164/Folder 48/Items 2-4 (Dupain); National Library of Australia, PIC Drawer PM 1886 #PIC/P1664/E (Cotton).
(7) State Records of New South Wales Marriage registration 8121/1939.
(8) National Archives of Australia Military service Record B883, NX174950.
(9) ‘Hat Colours Match Those in Paintings’, Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday 18 May 1950, p. 10.
(*) ‘Eulogy and Presentation’, Tumut and Adelong Times, Tuesday 20 July 1937, p. 1.
- Writers:
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- Date written:
- 2025
- Last updated:
- 2025
