Art works by Tony Rafty, Official Australian War Artist, World War II

Tony Rafty (Anthony Raftopoulos) was born in Sydney in 1915. A painter, cartoonist and caricaturist, he is mostly self taught, although he did study for 2 years at East Sydney technical College. He joined the staff of the Sun-Herald newspapers in 1940 as political and sports cartoonist. He enlisted in the AIF in 1941 and was later war artist in New Guinea. After World War II he went to New Guinea as artist correspondent for Associated Newspapers.

He was the first Australian to draw an Australian comic book in 1948, and after freelancing from 1957 to 1962. He rejoined the Sun Herald group in 1962 as a cartoonist, illustrator and sporting cartoonist and was president of the Black and White Artists' Club in 1975, and also held presidencies of the Sydney Journalists' Club and the War Correspondents' Association.

He was awarded an Order of Australia (OAM) 1990 and made more... a life member of the Black and White Artists' Club 1991. He provided the illustration for a number of books in the 1970s and designed the <Australian Personalities of Sport</> series of stamps for Australia Post in 1981.<p> less...