Gordon Andrews (born Sydney 1914) is best known for designing the first decimal currency bank notes that were released in Australia on 14 February 1966. He was also one of Australia's foremost industrial designers and a designer of international significance. He worked in Britain and Italy, as well as Australia and was the first Australian designer to be elected as a Fellow of the UK Society of Industrial Artists and Designers (1955). He was also awarded membership of the Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry and the Alliance Graphique Internationale.

The Gordon Andrews archive was the first archive of an Australian designer to be acquired by the Powerhouse Museum. Acquired in 1989, it documents Andrews' prolific career across a broad range of disciplines and the extraordinary breadth of his interiors for the Australian Pavilion of the Comptoire Suisse trade fair (1960), the New South Wales Government Tourist Bureau, Sydney (1961) and the New Zealand Government Tourist Bureau (1965). A second archive, also assembled by the designer, was acquired by the museum in 1992. It documents Andrews' designs for Australia's first decimal currency banknotes. (92/194)

The retrospective exhibition "Gordon Andrews: a designer's life", was held at the Powerhouse Museum in 1993. Andrews' own monograph "Gordon Andrews: A designer's life", was published by the New South Wales University Press in the same year. Both the book and the exhibition drew predominantly on the extensive Gordon Andrews design archives. Fortunately, Andrews' archives had been acquired by the Powerhouse Museum before bush fires destroyed his home at Lovett Bay, near Sydney's Church Point, in January 1994.

89/735-16/1
Drawing, 'Gordon Andrews returning home from London to Australia', airbrush on paper, mounted on cardboard, pencilled annotation reads '1938-1939 London'. Produced in London around 1938 or 1939, this drawing later became the frontispiece of Andrew's design folio of work produced in London between 1936 and 1939.
(EX-SCT-101-6) (00213718)

89/735-20/ 57
Transparency, colour, 4" x 5", view of the Sydney office-showroom Gordon Andrews designed for Olivetti Australia Pty Ltd in 1956, showing Gazelle and Rondo chairs designed by Gordon Andrews, photograph attributed to Laurence Le Guay, Sydney, 1956
(PUB-MCT-68A-9)

89/735-27/7/4
Transparency, colour, 4" x 5", view through glass entrance doors to the interior of the New South Wales Government Tourist Bureau, Challis House, Martin Place, Sydney, interior designed by Gordon Andrews, Sydney, 1961, photograph by David Potts, Sydney 1961.
(EX-SCT-107-22) (00213721)

89/735-14/60
Colour slide, 35mm, 'Breakfast with Gordon Andrews', Marion Hall Best display room, David Jones department store, Sydney, 1962, photograph attributed to David Moore, Sydney, 1962
(EX-SCT-107-22) (00213721)

Archive, design, Gordon Andrews, Australia/England/Italy, 1923-1987

Archive of Australian designer, Gordon Andrews, including (-1) hobby certificates, 1923-1932, (2) technical drawings, 1926 and 1929, (-3) life drawings, 1934 and n.d., (-4) portfolio, c 1938-c1954, (-5) portfolio, c.1946-1953, (-6) portfolio, c1955-c1968, (-7) Diploma of election to Fellow of the Society of Industrial Artists, 1955, (-8) photographs for the book "Seeing", 1987, (-9) folder, 'Scribbles - sketches & Ideas for Murals - Paintings', n.d., (-10) exhibition catalogues, 1946-1949, (-11) books designed by Andrews, 1954-1975, (-12) photographic portraits of Andrews, 1925-1983, (-13) photographs taken by Gordon Andrews, 1937-1964?, (-14) slides, 1951-1976, (-15) folder, 'Early Times - Paintings Mural Sketches Ardath Pack', 1937-1939, (-16) folder, '1940...47 G.A. Returning Home, (-17) folder, 'Cartoons - Illustrations - Sketches', 1940-1942, (-18) work for David Jones, 1948-1950, (-19) 'London Work, 1948-1953, (-20) 'Olivetti', c1949-1953, (-21) 'Italy' 1953-1955, (-22) Studio, 100 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga, 1956, (-23) Cahill's Restaurant, 1958, (-24) Sculpture/fountain at Top Ryde Shopping Centre, 1958, (-25) SIAL - International Food Exhibition Paris, 1959?-1960?, (-26) Comptoir Suisse, Lausanne, 1960, (-27) New South Wales Government Tourist Bureau, 1961?, (-28) "Da Vinci to Sputnik" - Qantas Travelling Exhibition, 1961, (-29) New Zealand Government Tourist Bureau, 1965, (-30) Cameron Offices, Belconnen ACT and Belconnen Mall, 1969-1973, (-31) Sculpture/fountain at Cowra Civic Centre, 1970, (-32) Monarto Civic Centre, (-33) Woden East Government Offices, Woden, ACT, 1975, (-34) Australian National Gallery, 1975, (-35) National Athletics Stadium, Canberra, 1977, (-36) Reserve Bank Note Printing Works, 1981-1982, (-37) Coat of Arms, House of Representatives, Parliament House, Canberra, 1984-1987, Fountains and water pools, Yulara Tourist Village, Alice Springs, n.d., (-39) folder, 'Jewellery - Painting - Masks - Furniture - Fabrics', n.d., (-40) coats of arms and emblems, n.d., (-41) textured patterns and (-42) miscellaneous projects, 1946-1986

Maker: Andrews, Gordon; 1923 - 1987

89/735

1923 - 1987