Percy Trezise
- May 11, 2005
- 82 years
About Percy Trezise
Percy Trezise, 82, Australian painter, writer and explorer.
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Full Biography
|Percy Trezise AM (28 January 1923 – 11 May 2005) was an Australian pilot, painter, explorer and writer as well as, notably, a "discoverer", documenter, and historian of Aboriginal rock art. He was born in Tallangatta, Victoria but is associated especially with Far North Queensland and the rock art galleries of the Cape York Peninsula.
Life
Trezise was born in Tallangatta (northern Victoria), of Cornish descent, and attended a bush school followed by Albury High School. His interest in Aboriginal peoples began when he won a copy of The Red Centre by Hedley Herbert Finlayson while a student in high school. During World War II, Trezise served in the Royal Australian Air Force, surviving the crash of a Wackett trainer in August 1942. From 1956 he worked in northern Australia as an airline pilot for Ansett and the Cairns Aerial Ambulance. From the air he learned to identify areas likely to contain Aboriginal rock art, which he subsequently explored on foot. During the 1960s, he regularly overflew Dunk Island attempting to locate the Aboriginal galleries mentioned by E. J. Banfield in his Confessions of a Beachcomber (1908) and later walked in to find them based on his aerial observations.
He was a friend of writer Xavier Herbert, artists Ray Crooke and Ron Edwards and a collaborator with Aboriginal artist Dick Roughsey in a series of children's picture books.
He died in Cairns, Queensland.
Honours
In 1996, he was made a member of the Order of Australia. In 2004, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from James Cook University, in recognition of outstanding service to the community of far north Queensland. An episode of Australian Story, "Set In Stone" (2014), was dedicated to Percy Trezise. Introduced by Australian of the Year, Adam Goodes, it focuses on Trezise's 50 year relation with Quinkan rock art that continues with his sons.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Trezise
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Percy Trezise's archived record and the sources above.
1.Who was the Aboriginal artist that collaborated with Percy Trezise on children's picture books?
- A.Dick Roughseycorrect
- B.Ray Crooke
- C.Ron Edwards
- D.Xavier Herbert
Percy Trezise collaborated with the Aboriginal artist Dick Roughsey on a series of children's picture books.
Source: Life section
2.In what year was Percy Trezise made a member of the Order of Australia?
- A.1996correct
- B.1991
- C.2004
- D.1993
Percy Trezise was made a member of the Order of Australia in 1996.
Source: Honours section
3.What academic honor did James Cook University bestow upon Percy Trezise in 2004?
- A.Lifetime Achievement Award
- B.Distinguished Professorship
- C.Honorary Doctorate of Letterscorrect
- D.Honorary Doctorate of Science
In 2004, James Cook University awarded Percy Trezise an Honorary Doctorate of Letters for his service to the community.
Source: Honours section
4.What is the title of the 2014 Australian Story episode dedicated to Percy Trezise?
- A.Set In Stonecorrect
- B.Quinkan Country
- C.The Last Days of a Wilderness
- D.Dream Road
The 2014 episode of Australian Story dedicated to Percy Trezise is titled 'Set In Stone'.
Source: Honours section
5.Which individual introduced the Australian Story episode focused on Percy Trezise?
- A.Adam Goodescorrect
- B.Dick Roughsey
- C.E. J. Banfield
- D.Xavier Herbert
The episode of Australian Story about Percy Trezise was introduced by Australian of the Year, Adam Goodes.
Source: Honours section
6.In which city did Percy Trezise pass away?
- A.Cairnscorrect
- B.Tallangatta
- C.Canberra
- D.Sydney
Percy Trezise died in Cairns, Queensland.
Source: Life section
7.What was the title of the book co-authored by Percy Trezise and Dick Roughsey published in 1969?
- A.Mungoon-Gali
- B.Ngalculli the Red Kangaroo
- C.Dream Road
- D.Quinkan Countrycorrect
In 1969, Percy Trezise and Dick Roughsey published Quinkan Country together.
Source: Bibliography section
8.What specific subject did Percy Trezise discuss in the video he made on his 75th birthday?
- A.His childhood in Cornwall
- B.The discovery of the Great Barrier Reef
- C.The history of the RAAF
- D.His life and Dick Roughseycorrect
Percy Trezise made a video on his 75th birthday discussing his life and his collaboration with Dick Roughsey.
Source: Bibliography section
9.Who wrote the text for the 1987 book 'Platypus and Kookaburra'?
- A.Mary Haginikita
- B.Dick Roughsey
- C.Percy Trezise
- D.Rex Ingamelliscorrect
The book Platypus and Kookaburra was written by Rex Ingamellis and illustrated by Percy Trezise and Mary Haginikita.
Source: Bibliography section
10.At what age did Percy Trezise die?
- A.88
- B.82correct
- C.75
- D.92
Percy Trezise was 82 years old at the time of his death.
Source: Opening paragraph
11.In what Australian town was Percy Trezise born?
- A.Sydney
- B.Dunk Island
- C.Tallangattacorrect
- D.Cairns
Percy Trezise was born in the town of Tallangatta, located in northern Victoria.
Source: Life section
12.During which conflict did Percy Trezise serve in the Royal Australian Air Force?
- A.World War I
- B.Vietnam War
- C.World War IIcorrect
- D.Korean War
Percy Trezise served in the Royal Australian Air Force during the Second World War.
Source: Life section
13.Which book did Percy Trezise win while in high school that sparked his interest in Aboriginal peoples?
- A.Dream Road
- B.Confessions of a Beachcomber
- C.Quinkan Country
- D.The Red Centrecorrect
Percy Trezise became interested in Aboriginal peoples after winning a copy of The Red Centre by Hedley Herbert Finlayson in high school.
Source: Life section
14.What type of aircraft was Percy Trezise piloting when he survived a crash in August 1942?
- A.Wackett trainercorrect
- B.Tiger Moth
- C.Cessna 172
- D.Dakota transport
Percy Trezise survived the crash of a Wackett trainer aircraft in August 1942 while serving in the RAAF.
Source: Life section
15.For which organizations did Percy Trezise work as an airline pilot starting in 1956?
- A.Qantas and Trans Australia Airlines
- B.Royal Flying Doctor Service and Jetstar
- C.Civil Aviation Authority and Bush Pilots Airways
- D.Ansett and the Cairns Aerial Ambulancecorrect
From 1956, Percy Trezise worked as an airline pilot for Ansett and the Cairns Aerial Ambulance.
Source: Life section
16.Which literary work by E. J. Banfield motivated Percy Trezise to search for Aboriginal galleries on Dunk Island?
- A.The Red Centre
- B.Quinkan Country
- C.Dream Road
- D.Confessions of a Beachcombercorrect
Percy Trezise used E. J. Banfield's 1908 book Confessions of a Beachcomber to locate galleries on Dunk Island.
Source: Life section
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