Andrew MacCormac

{{Use Australian English|date=September 2019}}{{Infobox person

| name = Andrew MacCormac

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1826|12|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = Banbridge, County Down, Ireland

| death_date = {{Death date|1918|08|13|1826|12|23|df=y}}

| known_for = Portrait paintings

| spouse = Emily Mary Johnson

}}

Andrew MacCormac (23 December 1826 – 13 August 1918) was a portrait painter in South Australia.

History

Andrew was born on 23 December 1826{{Cite news|title = A Painter of Portraits |url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5542545|newspaper = The Advertiser (Adelaide)|date = 1918-04-06|access-date = 2016-01-09|pages = 14}} in Banbridge, County Down,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164160859 |title=Obituaries |newspaper=Adelaide Observer |location=Adelaide |date=17 August 1918 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=19 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} Ireland and studied at Lee's Academy in London. His father John MacCormac was the town clerk of Banbridge County Down, Ireland. Andrew was persuaded to come to Australia by the G. C. King , Town clerk of Melbourne, who was in England lobbying to stop the transportation of convicts to Victoria. MacCormac and his wife travelled by steamer Golden Age to Melbourne in 1854. He was ordained a minister of the Presbyterian Church, but at some stage became a Baptist. He moved to South Australia in 1868McCulloch, Alan Encyclopedia of Australian Art Hutchinson of London, 1968. Spelled "McCormac" in this reference and ministered to the Moonta Baptist Church for a year, then moved to North Adelaide where he turned professional portraitist in oils.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87553578 |title=Obituary. |newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=24 August 1918 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=39 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

He was also a writer and poet of some ability. He published one small volume of verse Via Crucis; or Death and Life{{Citation | title=Via crucis, or, Death and life : a poem / by A. MacCormac | author1=MacCormac, A | year=1906 | publisher=Vardon & Pritchard }} dedicated to Lord Hallam Tennyson.

He attempted painting landscapes, but those he exhibited at the Adelaide Easel Club, of which he was a member, were received without enthusiasm.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166456318 |title=The Easel Clubs Exhibition |newspaper=Quiz and The Lantern |location=Adelaide |date=22 October 1896 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=8 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

Some portraits

Sir Henry Ayers{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47241127 |title=The Parliamentary Portrait Gallery |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=24 June 1890 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
Sir Richard Baker
Sir John Cox Bray{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48239837 |title=Sir John Bray |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=27 August 1891 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
John Howard Clark{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56652887 |title=Public Library Board |newspaper=The Register |location=Adelaide |date=18 April 1903 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=8 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
Sir Lewis Cohen{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48252423 |title=Presentation to the Retiring Mayor |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=1 December 1891 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
G. W. Cotton{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166449608 |title=A New Picture |newspaper=Quiz and The Lantern |location=Adelaide |date=20 April 1894 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=11 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
Daniel Cudmore{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166377953 |title=Personal Pars |newspaper=Quiz and The Lantern |location=Adelaide |date=25 March 1892 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
John Darling, Sr.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166956191 |title=Fair and Unfair |newspaper=Quiz and The Lantern |location=Adelaide |date=18 November 1897 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=10 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
Rev. James Jefferis Congregationalist minister{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90879727 |title=News of the Week. |newspaper=South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail |location=Adelaide |date=10 March 1877 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
George S. Kingston{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article30816472 |title=Friday, June 3, 1881. |newspaper=The South Australian Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=3 June 1881 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
Sir William Milne{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article159550487 |title=Portrait of Sir William Milne |newspaper=Adelaide Observer |location=SA |date=2 August 1890 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=42 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
Sir John Morphett{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91279125 |title=The Week. |newspaper=South Australian Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=5 April 1890 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=11 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
Admiral W. J. S. Pullen{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article41998835 |title=Portrait of Admiral Pullen |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=4 April 1883 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
Sir Robert Ross
Sir R. R. Torrens{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36325580 |title=Wednesday, March 31, 1886. |newspaper=The South Australian Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=31 March 1886 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
Rev. James Way Congregationalist minister (drawing)
John Whinham, founder of North Adelaide Grammar School
Silas Mead, founding minister of Flinders street Baptist Church, portrait hangs in Mead Hall at Flinders Street Baptist Church.

Family

He married Emily Mary Johnson (21 March 1847 – 3 November 1898). Their children included:

Alexander Henry MacCormac (11 February 1872 – 7 August 1944) married Esther May Leedham (6 May 1881 – 1 September 1958) on 14 September 1910 at the residence of her parents at Bowden on the Hill, SA
Nicholas Chevalier MacCormac (17 June 1873 – 25 July 1956) married Margaret Mary Edith Turner (1879 – ) on 12 April 1906Probably named for Nicholas Chevalier, the great Victorian painter. in Goodwood, SA
David Johnson MacCormac (7 December 1874 – )
Mitchell Henry MacCormac (21 October 1874 – 29 October 1954) married Mary Louise McGregor (c. 1889 – 5 August 1930) on 14 January 1915 at the Methodist Parsonage South Terrace, Adelaide
Idelette MacCormac (19 June 1868 – 8 June 1931) Never married
Muriel MacCormac (12 November 1869 – 6 November 1939) married Harry Thomas Percy Macklin (1855 – 2 August 1902) on 19 August 1899 in Cuthburt Street Prospect, lived at Semaphore
Emily Mary MacCormac (15 August 1880 – 7 November 1880)
Irene MacCormac (7 March 1888 – 22 July 1963) married Friedrich Wilhelm Altmann (c. 1885 – 17 July 1954) on 16 October 1915, lived at Wilmington

They lived at Clifton Street, Prospect{{Cite web|title = Google|url = https://www.google.com.au/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=clifton%2520street%2520prospect|website = www.google.com.au|accessdate = 2016-01-09}}

Recognition

He was awarded a gold medal at the International Exhibition in London 1862.
He was awarded a gold medal at the International Exhibition in London 1873.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article159454042 |title=Colonial Works of Art |newspaper=Adelaide Observer |location=SA |date=1 May 1875 |accessdate=20 January 2015 |page=8 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

These two references may refer to one award, and one or other date is incorrect.