Dated 1919 and professionally framed.
Frame Width 480mm Height 380mm
There were 2 ships of this name operated by the New Zealand Shipping Company. Both were sunk during the World Wars by German U boats; one in 1917 and the second in 1940. We believe this is of the first ship which was sunk 2 years before the date on this painting. The second RMS Rotorua was formerly named the Shropshire and had 4 masts as opposed to this one with 2. Both vessels were launched in 1910.
Charles Basil Norton was a cartoonist, illustrator and artist. He was born in Worthing, England in 1887. At the age of 15 in 1902 he joined the Royal Navy, and served until 1911. In 1909-1910 he was on HMS CHALLENGER when it voyaged to Australia and the Pacific, and he kept an illustrated journal of the voyage which has survived. On leaving the Navy he went back to Australia, married Emily Prees in 1913, and moved to New Zealand, where he worked as a dredge master at Gisborne. Paintings exist which he did at this time.
Norton went back to Australia around 1920, and worked for the Royal Australian Navy in Perth, before going to Sydney and working for the Commonwealth Government Line. In the 1930s he worked for a number of Sydney newspapers, making blocks and producing illustrations. From 1938 to 1954 he worked for 'Pix' magazine. He also freelanced. He had four children, including the well-known marine artist Frank Norton. C B Norton died in 1968.