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Vale Peter Kingston

Published on: October 2022

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-127979

Vale Peter Kingston

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore)

—Speaker, I acknowledge Peter Kingston, an acclaimed poet‑painter of Sydney Harbour who recently passed away. Peter was a long-standing resident of Lavender Bay for nearly half a century and a neighbour to the Whiteley's in my electorate of North Shore. He was a lifelong environmental activist and campaigned to save Sydney's working harbour, Luna Park, and the Walsh Bay heritage wharves. The foreshore boardwalk at Lavender Bay bears his name and is lined with his bronze sculptures of characters created by artists May Gibbs, Dorothy Wall, and Norman Lindsay. In the early to mid-1970s, Peter worked on the restoration of the well-known entrance to Luna park. Kingston is best known for painting the moods of Sydney Harbour, its workhorse Lady class ferries, and the Opera House. In December, a forthcoming exhibition of his drawings and paintings will be held at the Australian Galleries. I offer my sincere condolences to Peter's family, loved ones, the local community and friends in the arts who knew him for their loss. Vale Peter and your passion for Sydney will continue to bring joy to the local and broader community through your art.