In his spare time while teaching art to Swinburne students throughout the nineteen seventies, eighties and nineties, artist Brian Cleveland spent many an hour out and around Melbourne with his pencils and paint brush, sketching, recording those iconic areas of his city that was scheduled shortly to vanish, or soon to be seriously altered beyond recognition. Included in his hundreds of drawings are some of Port Melbourne’s most treasured heritage places – among them the 1937 Missions to Seamen building, Centenary Bridge, Princes Pier, and Station Pier.
Below is a selection of Brian’s works showing some familiar and some lost Port Melbourne locations.
Click on an image to see a larger version. All images are Copyright © Brian Cleveland.
6 Comments
Rhiannon
I would like to share a story I would love to pass on to Brian Cleveland. I have just picked up an old donated book at a thrift store in Greensborough – I looked at the first page and found a very heart warming note in an original copy of Mickey Mouse Tales that it was a Christmas gift in 1946 to Brian Cleveland.
I found this so precious! Throughout the book, a childs handwriting scribbles the name Brian Cleveland in various pages.
I felt this was such a treasure, I would love to pass this back on to him, if it is the same Brian Cleveland. Is there a way this could be passed onto him?
David Thompson
Thanks Rhiannon,
We’ll pass on your message to Brian and relay his reply directly to you.
Lynette Richardson
Dear David,
I am writing on behalf of my brother Brian Cleveland. Recently you replied to an email from a lady called Rhiannon who is anxious to return a book which she believes could belong to Brian. I have spoken to him and he would be very pleased if she would contact him as he is fairly sure he is the original owner of the book. He was very touched by her concern.
He would be very grateful if you would forward his phone number to Rhiannon.
With thanks,
Lyn
David Thompson
Thank you Lyn. I have passed Brian’s phone number onto Rhiannon.
Volkhard Wehner
Hi,
Brian Cleveland contributed some beautiful illustrations to my book on Hartwell, and we shared some interesting experiences on life in Ruskin and Somerset Roads. I would love to hear from him.
Volkhard
David Thompson
Thanks Volkhard,
Hopefully Brian reads this and gets in contact with you.