A life of art and passion

• OBITUARY: Dave Clarke October 24, 1946 - February 2, 2022

WELL-KNOWN throughout the South Gippsland region for his incredible art and detailed maps, Dave Clarke peacefully passed away earlier this month surrounded by loved ones.

A service was held at Leongatha on Friday, February 11, to celebrate Dave’s remarkable life and reflect on his exceptional talents.

Born David Edward Clarke on October 24, 1946, in Melbourne, he passed away at home on Thursday, February 3, 2022.

Dave developed a lasting passion for drawing maps of rural townships and popular regional areas for tourism.

This led to the drawing of several large maps, with the first map of South Gippsland published in 1994, with a second edition in 1996 and a third edition updated in 2021 to reflect regional changes.

Five maps eventually completed the series; South Gippsland, Wilsons Promontory, Phillip Island, East Gippsland and Lakes systems and East Gippsland/South-East NSW.

His artistic, animated and humorous style of drawings proved very popular to both local and international visitors.

Dave leaves behind a loving family including his partner of 32 years Marianne, his sons Dan, Matt and Jonno, their partners Heidi and Claire, and Dave’s grandchildren Hannah and Liam, Jackson and Archer, Grace and Ruby, and his older brother Peter.

Marianne gave a touching tribute at his service, saying Dave always expressed himself through his art.

“His gentle side manifested in the delicate watercolours,” she said.

“His quirky nature and subtle sense of humour were expressed through his cartoons which, by the way, were given gratis to the local newspaper. 

“His desire for people to be aware of their land and environment were graphically depicted through his skilled map-making and cartoons.

“His love of perfection could be seen in persistence and attention to detail in the restoration of old cars.”