Lyndon Whaite

Lauded by his peers as a graphic designer’s graphic designer, to have worked alongside Lyndon Whaite is spoken of as an influential and memorable time. To have been a student of Whaite’s is considered in the industry - a badge of honour.

The self-taught Whaite’s instinctive talent was not lost on an Adelaide advertising agency that offered the then post secondary school student his first job on the strength of his folio. Shared space in private practice with the late Les Mason in Melbourne proved a fortuitous opportunity, from which Whaite as a fledgling designer gained invaluable mentoring and inspiration.

A springboard into the international arena soon ensued from the reproduction of a poster Whaite designed, in the Swiss published Graphis Annual. Graphis Magazine became the platform for many subsequent appearances and global admiration. Practicing as Whaite solo and as part of a six-year union with Garry Emery (as Whaite & Emery) marked a period of pioneering work. Adding Brian Sadgrove and Andrew Fowler-Brow to the mix during the early seventies (1971-1972) proved a powerful combination known for world-class output and exacting standards at a blistering pace.

A stint lecturing at a tertiary institution, now Monash University Caulfield, led Whaite to employ former student Richard Henderson who commented, "What Les Mason had given to Lyndon, Lyndon gave to me. He passed on the baton. The craft, the discipline, the Bauhaus principles."

Drawn back to South Australia in 1975 to pursue a vineyard lifestyle while continuing freelancing and teaching, Waite turned his hand to full time teaching in 1977 at the School of Design at Underdale.

Whaite’s best known works include: the symbol for The Australia Council (1983); the complete identity for the sesquicentennial of the state of South Australia (1986) and a stamp series created in conjunction with Grant Jorgensen for Australia Post. After his work was judged the ’Most Beautiful Stamp Series in the World’ in annual competition based in Italy, Whaite was inducted into the 7th AGDA National Biennial Awards - Hall of Fame in 2004. Fittingly, Whaite now adds to his swag of accolades - Design Institute of Australia Hall Of Fame inductee 2011 in recognition of his significant contribution to Australian design.