# Ninette Dutton

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**Ninette Clarice Florence Dutton** (*[née](/source/Birth_name)* **Trott**) OAM (1923–2007) was an Australian artist, broadcaster and author.[1][2]

## Early life and education

Ninette Dutton (nee Trott) was born in [Adelaide](/source/Adelaide), South Australia on 24 July 1923,[3] the granddaughter of English portrait and landscape painter [George A. J. Webb](/source/George_A._J._Webb). Her father's family operated a dental practice, and her mother was a medical matron. She had two younger sisters.[4]

Trott attended Creveen Girls School, North Adelaide, and Woodlands before studying social science at the [University of Adelaide](/source/University_of_Adelaide). She later studied at the [Ruskin School of Art](/source/Ruskin_School_of_Art) in the 1950s.[5]

## Career

Trott began her career driving in the [Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force](/source/Women's_Auxiliary_Australian_Air_Force).[6]

After marrying [Geoffrey Dutton](/source/Geoffrey_Dutton) in 1944,[7] the now Ninette Dutton set up an art studio in the Adelaide Hills In the late 1940s, primarily focusing on "firing painted designs on tiles".[4]

During the 1950s, she worked in the Botany Library at Oxford.[6]

While living briefly in Kansas, Dutton began enamelling on copper. Over the following four decades, her enamel works were widely collected, and she wrote *Beautiful Art of Enamelling* in 1966.[6] Her works feature in collections across [Australia](/source/Australia), including the [National Gallery of Victoria](/source/National_Gallery_of_Victoria), the [National Gallery of Australia](/source/National_Gallery_of_Australia), and the Orange Regional Gallery.[8][9][10]

Over the 1970s, 80s and 90s she published books and delivered radio programmes on cooking, flowers, gardening and the seasons, and for some years she wrote a column titled 'The Passionate Gardener' in the *[Advertiser](/source/The_Advertiser_(Adelaide))*, Adelaide.[11]

Dutton was awarded a Medal of the [Order of Australia](/source/Order_of_Australia) (OAM) in 1994.[12]

## Personal life

Trott married Australian writer and historian [Geoffrey Dutton](/source/Geoffrey_Dutton) in 1944.[7] The couple lived in Melbourne, where they associated with *[Angry Penguins](/source/Angry_Penguins)* members, including [Arthur Boyd](/source/Arthur_Boyd), [Sidney Nolan](/source/Sidney_Nolan), [Max Harris](/source/Max_Harris_(poet)).[4]

In 1946, the couple moved to [Oxford](/source/Oxford), where Geoffrey studied English at [Magdalen College](/source/Magdalen_College,_Oxford), after which they purchased [Ford Pilot](/source/Ford_Pilot) and drove back to Australia. They settled in [Adelaide Hills](/source/Adelaide_Hills), with Geoffrey teaching at the [University of Adelaide](/source/University_of_Adelaide) and Ninette focusing on her artwork.[4]

In the 1950s, the Duttons travelled through Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.[citation needed][11]

By 1962, the Duttons had two children and briefly lived in Kansas. However, following the death of Geoffrey's mother-in-law, [Emily Dutton](/source/Emily_Dutton), in 1962, the Dutton family lived at [Anlaby Station](/source/Anlaby_Station), the [Duttons](/source/Dutton_family_of_South_Australia)' family property near [Kapunda](/source/Kapunda).[citation needed]

In early 1968, she saved the life of [Patrick White](/source/Patrick_White), a friend, by holding on to his arm when he fell into a blowhole on [Kangaroo Island](/source/Kangaroo_Island).[5]

Anlaby Station sold in 1977, after which the Duttons moved to [Eden Valley](/source/Eden_Valley,_South_Australia), where Ninette built a studio and served on boards in the local community, including the Arts Grants Advisory Committee and as a Trustee of the Board of [Carrick Hill](/source/Carrick_Hill).[4][6]

Following her divorce from Geoffrey Dutton, she moved to [Canberra](/source/Canberra) in 1997 and to [Leura](/source/Leura,_New_South_Wales) in 2002.[11]

She died on 7 July 2007 in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales.[11]

## Family

[George Webb](/source/George_A._J._Webb) married Christina Elizabeth "Crissie" Lake ( – 19 January 1930), daughter of John and Jane Ann Lake and step-daughter of George Rolfe (ca. 1837 – 10 September 1919) on 4 October 1892.

Their children were:

- Clarice, married Leonard W. Trott [DDS](/source/Dental_degree) in April 1920, lived at "Deepdene", 23 Fitzroy Terrace, North Adelaide, then from 1936 "Carawatha", 3 Edwin Terrace, [Gilberton, South Australia](/source/Gilberton,_South_Australia)

- - Ninette Clarice Florence Trott (24 July 1923 – 2007) married [Geoffrey Dutton](/source/Geoffrey_Dutton) (2 August 1922 – 17 September 1998) on 31 July 1944. They had three children - Francis Dutton - Sam Dutton - Tisi Dutton - Elizabeth "Helen" Trott (3 October 1926 – ) married Theodore "Bill" Bruce (1923–2002) on 1 October 1949. Bill, son of a prominent Adelaide auctioneer, was a champion athlete who competed in the 1948 (London) Olympic Games. - Janet Myra Trott (3 October 1926 – ) married Geoffrey Richard Villiers (9 December 1924 – ) on 23 October 1948.

- George Rolfe Webb (ca. March 1893 – ) was a corporal in the Australian Army and served for a time in [Rouen](/source/Rouen), France, returning to Australia in 1918. He married and farmed at "Bonnington", Boorcan, Victoria (between [Terang](/source/Terang,_Victoria) and [Camperdown](/source/Camperdown,_Victoria)).

- - Mary Florence ( – ) married Dr. Peter D. Graeme Fox R.A.N.R. of [Nedlands, Western Australia](/source/Nedlands,_Western_Australia) on 6 February 1946

## Written Works

- Dutton, Ninette (1966), *The beautiful art of enamelling : a text-book for beginners*, Sun Books, ISBN 978-0-7251-0023-0
- Dutton, Ninette (1971), *What's for breakfast?*, Sun Books, ISBN 978-0-7251-0124-4
- Dutton, Ninette & Brissenden collection (1976), "Portrait of a year", *Astronomy Now*. **3** (4): 17, Thomas Nelson (Australia), [Bibcode:1989AsNow...3...17A](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1989AsNow...3...17A). ISBN 978-0-17-005089-0
- Dutton, Ninette (1982), *An Australian wildflower diary*, Rigby, ISBN 978-0-7270-1709-3
- Dutton, Ninette (1985), *Wildflower journeys : with paintings, drawings and diaries*, Macmillan, ISBN 978-0-333-40120-0
- Dutton, Ninette (1986), *Presents from Your Garden*, Nelson, ISBN 978-0-17-006765-2
- Ninette Dutton (1987), *Probabilities short stories*, North Ryde, N.S.W Angus & Robertson, ISBN 978-0-207-15375-4
- Dutton, Ninette (1988), *An Australian gardener's notebook*, Greenhouse, ISBN 978-0-86436-165-3
- Dutton, Ninette (1988), ["Gardening on a grand scale"](https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/168851058), Carrick Hill?, retrieved 17 November 2024
- Dutton, Ninette (1990), *A passionate gardener : writes of nature, beauty and seasons*, ABC Enterprises for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ISBN 978-0-7333-0047-9
- Dutton, Ninette (1995), *Firing*, Editions Tom Thompson, ISBN 978-1-875892-07-5
- Dutton, Ninette (2000), *Home*, [New ed.] ed., Text Publishing, ISBN 978-1-876485-67-2
- Dutton, Ninette & Molonglo Press (2000), *Which way the wind blew*, Molonglo Press, ISBN 978-1-876827-06-9

## References

1. ["Ninette Dutton"](https://daao.library.unsw.edu.au/bio/ninette-dutton/). *Design & Art Australian Online*. Retrieved 2024-11-17.

1. ["Ninette Dutton OAM, b. 1923"](http://www.portrait.gov.au/people/ninette-dutton-1923/). *National Portrait Gallery people*. Retrieved 2026-01-08.

1. Croom, Alannah (15 May 2018). ["Dutton, Ninette Clarice Florence"](https://www.womenaustralia.info/entries/dutton-ninette-clarice-florence/). *The Australian Women's Register*

1. ["At home among wildflowers and fellow artists"](https://www.smh.com.au/national/at-home-among-wildflowers-and-fellow-artists-20070716-gdqmjp.html). *The Sydney Morning Herald*. 2007-07-16. Retrieved 2024-11-17.

1. ["In a glance"](http://www.portrait.gov.au/magazines/14/in-a-glance/). *National Portrait Gallery magazine*. Retrieved 2025-08-26.

1. Austlit. ["Ninette Clarice Florence Dutton | AustLit: Discover Australian Stories"](https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A35776). *www.austlit.edu.au*. Retrieved 2024-11-17.

1. Keen, Suzie (2023-05-18). ["The Many Loves of Geoffrey Dutton"](https://inreview.com.au/inreview/film/2023/05/19/the-many-loves-of-geoffrey-dutton/). *InReview*. Retrieved 2024-11-17.

1. ["Artists | NGV"](https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/artist/9219/). *www.ngv.vic.gov.au*. Retrieved 2024-11-17.

1. ["Bowl"](https://collections.orange.nsw.gov.au/objects/29). *Orange City Council Collection*. Retrieved 2024-11-17.

1. ["Ninette Dutton - Plate - Search the Collection, National Gallery of Australia"](https://searchthecollection.nga.gov.au/object/58658). *National Gallery of Australia*. Retrieved 2024-11-17.

1. ["Papers of Ninette Dutton"](https://specialcollections.unsw.edu.au/Detail/collections/490). *UNSW Canberra: Special Collections*. Retrieved 19 April 2026.

1. ["Dutton, Ninette Clarice Florence"](https://www.womenaustralia.info/entries/dutton-ninette-clarice-florence/). *AWR*. Retrieved 2024-11-17.

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