Lenton Parr

[1] Born in East Coburg, Victoria, Lenton Parr spent eight years in the Royal Australian Air Force (Svc No.

A33223) before enrolling to study sculpture at the Royal Melbourne Technical College (now RMIT University), then worked in England 1955–57 as an assistant to Henry Moore.

He appointed staff who became influential Australian art and was held in high esteem by staff, but his fine art philosophy clashed with the vocationally-oriented aims of the College Principal Alan Warren,[2] who acted unsuccessfully to have him removed by advertising his job,[3] prompting an inquiry by the Minister.

[4] Though his appointment at Prahran was upheld, he left, effective 31 January 1969,[5] to take up the role of Principal at the National Gallery School (1969-1974), leading to his appointment as director (1974–84) of the Victorian College of the Arts when it replaced the Gallery School[6] He was a member of the Victorian Sculptors' Society and its seventh president.

Around 1960 he joined with Clifford Last, Inge King, Vincas Jomantas and Teisutis Zikaras to form a splinter group which exhibited together as the 'Centre Five'.