Unk White

Who was Unk White?

Cecil John White, known under the penname Unk White, was an Australian cartoonist born in Auckland, New Zealand.

He came to Sydney in 1922 with the artists Joe and Guy Lynch and was soon immersed in the bohemian scene there.

He was a regular contributor to Australian magazines, notably Melbourne Punch and The Bulletin, also Smith's Weekly and Beckett's Budget.

He produced the comic strips, Freckles in 1928 and The Adventures of Blue Hardy for Pix magazine in 1938.

He was a foundation member of the Black and White Artists' Club and its first secretary.

In 1944 Unk was accredited as an official war artist and saw active service with the RAAF and Royal Navy in New Guinea, the Pacific and Japan.

He was also a highly regarded painter in watercolours.

From the late 1960s White drew many of the architectural drawings in the Rigby Sketchbook series.