Early Life, Family and Training

Charles Bush was born on 23 November 1919 in North Carlton, a suburb of Melbourne. He was the son of Alice Maud Bush, née Rohsburn, and Andrew Charles Thomas Bush, who worked as a signwriter. Life in the household was marked by a quiet, heavy loss when his four-year-old brother was killed in a car accident on Bell Street in 1929. This tragedy occurred while the boys were crossing the street together. His mother passed away in 1936, leaving him to navigate his teenage years alongside his father.

His education began at the Coburg East School and continued through Coburg High School, where he studied until the age of 14. During these formative years, he likely spent time observing his father's signwriting work. This early exposure to lettering and form led him toward formal training. He eventually began studying art at the National Gallery of Victoria school, a move that would define the direction of his life.

As he matured, the relationship with his father grew strained. This tension eventually prompted Charles Bush to leave home. He moved to Essendon to live with the parents of a fellow student, Phyllis Waterhouse. The two young artists shared a studio in Essendon, forming a partnership that would endure for decades, even though they did not officially marry until 1979.

Military Service and War Art

The quiet rhythm of his studies was interrupted in 1941 when he was called up for National Service. He served with the Citizen Military Forces until 1943, when his path shifted toward the Army Historical Unit. Moving into the 2nd AIF, he took on the role of a war artist. He held the rank of lieutenant during this period, documenting the realities of the conflict through his eyes and hands. His service continued until 1946.

In 1946, his work took him to Darwin, where he attended the trials of Japanese soldiers. These years of service left behind a body of work that remains among his most notable. The sketches and paintings from this time capture a specific, heavy atmosphere of the era. His wartime output provides a direct, unvarnished look at the period, stripped of any unnecessary embellishment.

Travels and Artistic Career

In 1949, a British Council grant provided a path to London. This opportunity allowed him to study under Bernard Meninsky. He and Phyllis Paulina Waterhouse used the Travelling Art Scholarship to move through Europe. They spent time exploring the galleries of France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. These years abroad shaped the way he saw the light and the landscape.

Upon returning to Melbourne, his professional life shifted toward teaching and the management of art spaces. In 1954, he was appointed as a teacher of drawing at the NGV school. He remained connected to the local art community through the establishment of a gallery. In 1962, he co-founded the Leveson Street Gallery in North Melbourne alongside Phyllis Paulina Waterhouse and June Davies. He helped run the space until 1972.