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Town Hall, 333 Bay Street, Port Melbourne
Town Hall, 333 Bay Street, Port Melbourne

Brian Cleveland – Artist

In his spare time while teaching art to Swinburne students throughout the nineteen seventies, eighties and nineties, artist Brian Cleveland spent many an hour out and around Melbourne with his pencils and paint brush, sketching, recording those iconic areas of his city that was scheduled shortly to vanish, or soon to be seriously altered beyond recognition. Included in his hundreds of drawings are some of Port Melbourne’s most treasured heritage places – among them the 1937 Missions to Seamen building, Centenary Bridge, Princes Pier, and Station Pier.

Below is a selection of Brian’s works showing some familiar and some lost Port Melbourne locations.

Click on an image to see a larger version.  All images are Copyright © Brian Cleveland.

6 Comments

  • Rhiannon
    Posted February 1, 2022 8.20 pm 0Likes

    I would like to share a story I would love to pass on to Brian Cleveland. I have just picked up an old donated book at a thrift store in Greensborough – I looked at the first page and found a very heart warming note in an original copy of Mickey Mouse Tales that it was a Christmas gift in 1946 to Brian Cleveland.
    I found this so precious! Throughout the book, a childs handwriting scribbles the name Brian Cleveland in various pages.
    I felt this was such a treasure, I would love to pass this back on to him, if it is the same Brian Cleveland. Is there a way this could be passed onto him?

    • David Thompson
      Posted February 4, 2022 10.58 am 0Likes

      Thanks Rhiannon,
      We’ll pass on your message to Brian and relay his reply directly to you.

  • Lynette Richardson
    Posted March 2, 2022 4.09 pm 0Likes

    Dear David,
    I am writing on behalf of my brother Brian Cleveland. Recently you replied to an email from a lady called Rhiannon who is anxious to return a book which she believes could belong to Brian. I have spoken to him and he would be very pleased if she would contact him as he is fairly sure he is the original owner of the book. He was very touched by her concern.
    He would be very grateful if you would forward his phone number to Rhiannon.
    With thanks,
    Lyn

    • David Thompson
      Posted March 2, 2022 6.44 pm 0Likes

      Thank you Lyn. I have passed Brian’s phone number onto Rhiannon.

  • Volkhard Wehner
    Posted March 22, 2024 8.50 am 0Likes

    Hi,
    Brian Cleveland contributed some beautiful illustrations to my book on Hartwell, and we shared some interesting experiences on life in Ruskin and Somerset Roads. I would love to hear from him.
    Volkhard

    • David Thompson
      Posted March 22, 2024 10.17 am 0Likes

      Thanks Volkhard,

      Hopefully Brian reads this and gets in contact with you.

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Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet and work, the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.