Sibley has been the subject of three books and is commonly listed in histories and encyclopedias of Australian art as a significant figurative painter of the mid and late 20th century.
[5] He left the farm in 1951 to undertake National Service Training with the Royal Australian Navy, after which he spent a short time living and working in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
Over his 58-year career as an artist, Sibley achieved strong commercial and critical success as well as recognition as a finalist or being awarded numerous major art prizes.
[8] Sibley commenced his formal painting career in Brisbane during the latter half of the 1950s alongside notable artists such as Roy Churcher, Jon Molvig and Ian Fairweather, Brian Johnston, Charles Blackman and Clifton Pugh.
Most notably in 1978, Sibley took leave from RMIT to visit India and in 1980, he travelled to Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, staying with indigenous artists of the Gunbalanya (Oenpelli) community.
In 2001, Sibley took part in an expedition to Lake Eyre in South Australia, along with nine other artists (John Olsen, Tim Storrier, Robert Jacks, David Larwill, Jefferey Makin, Hazel Dooney, et al.) which resulted in a book, William Creek and Beyond,[16] a film documentary and a touring exhibition.