Francis Gill was born in the United Kingdom where he studied and trained in London. He met Guy Grey-Smith and Robert Juniper and migrated to Perth in 1965, and became a modelmaker. His Uncle was a sign painter and sculptor who designed the Gill Sans typeface in 1928.
Dorothy Erickson writes about Gill:
Francis mostly made his living as a builder. He lived in Darlington in an A frame house (and before that in Stone Crescent if I remember correctly) and made silver work as a hobby. He showed in the Darlington Art and Craft Fair and was soon persuaded to start giving classes in jewellery and lapidary in Midland Junction and Darlington. Felicity Peters was one of his students. Then he became the lecturer at WAIT (Curtin) in 1970 when the studio was being set up. He was my lecturer for my first art degree and also for jeweller John McDiven. In 1972 he made silverware for St Thomas More chapel in Crawley and St George’s Cathedral. He sold his work through David Foulkes Taylor. I remember him working on the chain in my final year 1972. The Dianella is depicted in the bottom link above the crest.
Date of birth1927Place of birth / nationalityEnglish
