Aldridge George
| Type of person | Artist |
|---|---|
| Principal occupation | Artist / Cartoonist |
Cartoonist and Artist George Aldridge was a regular contributor to The Bunyip newspaper for over 30 years, while his vocation has taken him around the world before settling in the Flinders Ranges.
George turned local news into an appropriate cartoon for each edition of The Bunyip was much admired, and formed an important part of the town’s history through his tenure as a local artist. There weren’t too many local identities who escaped George’s pencil, whether sportsmen, politicians or hard-working locals, which were drawn with respect.
Arriving in Gawler 40 years ago, George fell in love with the smaller town aspects of the place, and found comfort in drawing his cartoons for the local newspaper, The Bunyip, while also connecting with Willaston Football Club, which he says reflected his ‘personality’. “It was so cool that The Bunyip was owned by the same family since the year dot,” George said. John Barnet was a great friend, and Craig Barnet always encouraged me, while Paul Barnet was pretty good with a camera and also a dear friend" he said." He was a junior umpire at the Willaston sports club, Football and Cricket.
George has won numerous awards for his drawings, including a SA Press Award as cartoonist of the year.
He has continually worked in hundreds of schools with students, including a couple of stints in Sussex, England. He was a prize winner at an international cartoon display in Portugal, while George has also worked in web design and as a consultant designer, in a wide range of organisations, including the SA museum and library.
George's career as a cartoonist has been woven together by a diverse array of commissions, residencies and projects for numerous prestigious organisations, including the Country Arts Trust, the South Australian Museum, the ABC. His distinctive cartoons have graced publications and projects for entities such as the Riverland Horticultural Council, National Parks and Wildlife, SA Health, the Law Council of Australia and the CSIRO.
He played a pivotal role in the camel-handling project with PIRSA and the community in the APY lands, and he has hosted workshops for the education department in schools, including Bowden Brompton Community School with at risk children and Murray Bridge Primary School.
Among his many accomplishments is the creating and managing of the Cook-out-Back camp oven cooking competition in Blinman in the early 2000s.”
He was inducted into the Cartoonist Hall of Fame in Melbourne in 2023.
"George's work has not only provided the planet with humour and insight through his cartoons but has also strengthened communities through his various initiatives and projects. His paintings are much sought after with bright and vibrant colours (of the outback)
Please click here for images of and by George Aldridge
please click here to view George's presentation in October, 2025 of his time in Gawler and everywhere else
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