William Frederick Longstaff (1879-1953), artist, was born on 25 December 1879 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. He attended Grenville College, Ballarat, and studied art at Ballarat School of Mines. During 1900-1901 he served with the South African Light Horse in the Boer War. After the war Longstaff continued his studies in Europe before returning to Australia to teach privately in Victoria. In 1915 he joined the Australian Imperial Force serving in Egypt. He was invalided to England in October 1917. During 1918 he received camouflage training and became a divisional artist. After the war Longstaff worked for the War Records Section, St John's Wood, London, producing material for a proposed Australian War Memorial. During the 1930s he settled with his family in Sussex. He died on 1 July 1953 at Littlehampton. Longstaff's best known work is 'Menin Gate at midnight' (1927).