Julian Rossi Ashton CBE (1851-1942) was indeed an English-born Australian artist and teacher, and Wikipedia confirms his birth in Addlestone, Surrey, England, on January 27, 1851. His father, Thomas Briggs Ashton, was an American amateur painter, and his mother, Henrietta, was the daughter of Count Carlo Rossi, a Sardinian diplomat. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Penzance, Cornwall, and later to Totnes, Devon. He began his artistic training in London at the West London School of Art and furthered his studies at the Académie Julian in Paris, gaining success as an illustrator and painter with exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Ashton emigrated to Melbourne, Australia, in 1878, initially working as an illustrator. He later moved to Sydney, where he became a pivotal figure in the Australian art scene. He is most renowned for founding the Julian Ashton Art School (originally “Academy Julian”) in Sydney in 1890, which became highly influential in shaping Australian art. As a trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, he championed the work of emerging Australian artists, particularly those associated with the Australian Impressionist or Heidelberg School, advocating for the collection of their works. His influence was instrumental in fostering a distinctly Australian style of painting, emphasizing en plein air (outdoor) painting and capturing the unique light and landscape of Australia.