It aspired to principles of the British Academy and to advise government on artistic matters, but it failed to obtain a royal charter when opposed by the Contemporary Art Society and other modernist groups, so its last annual exhibition was in 1947.

Nevertheless, Power's work was still highly regarded and fetched good prices in 1947; Draught Horses Drinking sold for 300 guineas (a value of A$20,660 in 2021).

[11][12] Among his students were Ambrose Griffin,[13] Joan Lane,[14] Cathleen Edkins[15][16] and Janet Dawson who took his classes from the age of 11, between 1946 and 1949.

"[17] In March 1949 Power joined Arnold Holst, Donald Campbell, Max Middleton, Michael King and Len Ferguson on a painting expedition to Tallangatta.

Artist,"[2] Power warns "beware of modern art," but is ambivalent; condemning Russell Drysdale's Melrose Prize-winning picture, Woman In a Landscape,"[19] for conveying "a wrong impression of our back country," but stressing that by "'modernists' he does not mean modern artists," admitting that "many of these are doing good work in Australia today and deserve encouragement.

Announcing his death, the Adelaide News reported that "Power received higher prices for his oils and water colors than any other living Australian artist.

Both show mastery of composition, atmosphere, color, general raclness and: vivacity: Looking at them one knows that the painter has a masterly grip of his trade.

They are not photographic, or even literal; the art jargoniers will have to add to their lexicon in order to have new and approbious adjectives on hand to vilify work their candidates cannot do.

[26]Reviewing his 1948 exhibition at Adelaide's Society of Arts gallery Esmond George in the Mail remarked that "Mr. Power invests all his work – pure landscapes, figures, and even frankly decorative material with the same intensity of conception and execution" [...] in "a completely satisfying show which one may enjoy wholeheartedly, relishing alike the downrightness of the drawing, the strength and vigor of the painting, and the rich harmony of color.