Ian Fairweather (1891-1974) was a prominent modern Australian artist, with a strong interest in Buddhism. Born in 1891 in Scotland, he served as a second lieutenant in World War I. He began drawing and developed an interest in Eastern philosophy after reading books on the subject while interned in a prisoner-of-war camp in Germany. On his return to London, he studied art at the Slade School and Japanese and Chinese at the School of Oriental Studies in the 1920s. He travelled extensively through Asia, living the life of a ‘hermit-wanderer’, before settling on Bribie Island, in Southeast Queensland in 1953.¹ 

According to local folklore he fell into a boat in Brisbane in 1945, and woke up on one of the island’s beaches, with a spectacular view of the Glasshouse Mountains. Reminiscent of Asian landscapes, this may have played a role in his decision to eventually settle there. He lived humbly, in a Malay-style thatched hut, with the Buddhist mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ in classical Chinese script above his doorway. This is where he painted many of his most famous works, including ‘Monastery’ (1961), ‘Epiphany’ (1962) and illustrations for his translation of the Chinese text The Drunken Buddha (1965). This work established Fairweather as one of Australia’s greatest artists.²  

Today a stone monument stands in the place of his shack on Bribie Island, and the local museum honours him and his work.³ His paintings are exhibited in the Tate Gallery in London, the National Gallery of Australia, and all state and many regional galleries.⁴ 

By: Anna Halafoff 

References: 

¹ Paul Croucher, Buddhism in Australia: 1848–1988 (New South Wales University Press, 1989); “Ian Fairweather,” Monument Australia, accessed September 8, 2026, https://www.monumentaustralia.org/themes/people/arts/display/120341-ian-fairweather. 

² Janet Hogan, “Ian Fairweather (1891–1974),” Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, 2006, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/fairweather-ian-10147; Croucher, Buddhism in Australia; Anna Halafoff, Bribie Island fieldwork observations, Buddhism in Australia project, 2024. 

³ “Ian Fairweather,” Monument Australia; “Bribie Island Seaside Museum,” Moreton Bay Regional Council, accessed September 8, 2026, https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Galleries-Museums/Locations/Seaside-Museum. 

⁴ Hogan, “Ian Fairweather (1891–1974).”