Mary White (designer)

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Mary White, designer and crafts advisor.

1912 born Mary Laidley Mort in Mount Morgan, Queensland, Australia

1932 she married Rupert Vivian White in Sydney.

1950 began working with Russell Roberts as a freelance designer

1951 founder member of the Society of Interior Designers of Australia

1954 she opened a shop in Edgcliff selling custom furniture made from her own working drawings. Commissions included: Australian Consolidated Press House in Canberra, Sydney Morning Herald Office, office of James Fairfax, Senate Conference Room at University of Sydney, A.M.A Conference Room, Weston's Biscuit Factory at Camperdown and a special design for General Motors Holden.

1961 she converted the shop to the Mary White School of Art. The school taught about colour and the professional skills of the interior decorator. A full design course was offerred and public lectures were held in the evenings.

1962 to 1963 to subsidise running costs of the school she worked as a consultant and conducted a series of public lectures on Art History and Modern Art with H.D.Nicholson and H.G Kaplan.

1962 to 1967 President of the Society of Interior Designers of Australia 1968 to 1971 President of the Society of Interior Designers of Australia

1964 Founder member of Craft Association of New South Wales and later Chair of steering committee for the foundation of the Crafts Council of Australia.

1965 to 1972 State representative to the Australian Society for Education through the Arts.

From 1967-1968 Mary White wrote a series of monthly articles on homes. She used her own photographs in these articles.

1971 Appointed craft Adviser on Aboriginal Projects to the Craft Council

1971 closed her school and moved to Adelaide to work for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs.

1976 appointed Senior Community Adviser at Dubbo NSW

1977 retired from Commonwealth Public Service (age 65)

1978 visited Solomon Islands for World Crafts Council

1979 South Pacific Commission

1979 taught with Aboriginal Land Fund Commission

1981 died aged 69