Tony Rafty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tony Rafty
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Portrait of Tony Rafty in Australian Army uniform, 2 October 1942
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| Born |
Anthony Raftopoulos
12 October 1915 Paddington, New South Wales, Australia
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| Died | 9 October 2015 (aged 99) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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| Style | Caricature |
| Spouse(s) |
Shirley Morey
(m. 1946; w. 2012) |
Tony Rafty OAM was a famous Greek-Australian artist. His full name was Anthony Raftopoulos. He was born on October 12, 1915, and passed away on October 9, 2015. Tony Rafty was best known for his amazing caricatures. These are funny drawings that make certain features of a person look bigger or more noticeable.
Tony Rafty's Life Story
Tony Rafty was born in Paddington, New South Wales, Australia. His family came from Greece. When he was a boy, he started drawing funny pictures called caricatures. He drew them while working as a caddy during the Great Depression. A caddy carries golf clubs for players. The Great Depression was a very tough time when many people lost their jobs.
During World War II, Tony Rafty served in the Australian Army. He worked as a war artist and journalist. He traveled to places like New Guinea, Borneo, and Singapore. He drew pictures of important moments, like when the Japanese surrendered in Singapore. He also drew people who were released from prison camps, known as POWs. One famous person he sketched was Lord Louis Mountbatten.
After World War II, he also covered the Indonesian National Revolution. He even became friends with President Sukarno of Indonesia. Many of his drawings from these times are kept in important places. You can find them at the National Library of Australia and the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Some are also at the Imperial War Museum in London.
Tony Rafty drew caricatures of many different people. He sketched politicians, sports stars, and entertainers. He drew athletes at every Olympic Games from 1948 to 1996. His artwork has been shown all over the world. More than 15,000 of his caricatures appeared in newspapers and magazines.
In 1981, Tony Rafty made history. He was the first caricaturist in the world to have his drawings appear on national stamps. He drew famous Australian sportsmen for these stamps. They included Victor Trumper, Walter Lindrum, Sir Norman Brookes, and Darby Munro. These stamps were released by Australia Post. He also drew pictures in courtrooms for news reports on the Seven Network.
Tony Rafty helped start the Australian Cartoonists' Association. He was also its president for a time. For 23 years, he was on the Board of Directors of the Sydney Journalists Club. He also led Australian war correspondents at the Anzac Day march for many years.
In 1985, Tony Rafty received a special award from Greece. It was called the Gold Cross of Mount Athos. In 1991, he received the Order of Australia Medal. This award was for his great work in the media. Sir William Dargie, another famous Australian artist, praised Tony Rafty's work. He said Tony Rafty's drawings were "simply splendid" and had a "life of their own."
Tony Rafty's Family Life
Tony Rafty was married to Shirley Morey for 66 years. Shirley's father was Tom Morey, a politician from New South Wales. Shirley passed away in 2012. Tony and Shirley had five children together.
Tony Rafty celebrated his 90th birthday in 2005. He passed away on October 9, 2015, in a hospital in Sydney. He died from problems caused by pneumonia. This was just three days before his 100th birthday.
Images for kids
