Lin (Noelene Mary) was born on Christmas Day in 1931 in Lismore, northern New South Wales, the only daughter of Charles and Bertha Biggers. Charles was a high school teacher and so the family moved around New South Wales where he took teaching positions and then as principals of regional and rural schools and then finishing his career in 1966 as Principal of Fort Street Boys High School, Sydney.
Lin graduated at Parkes High School in ??????? and went to Armidale Teachers' College from ??????????????. Between 1928 and 1948 a collection of over 1,000 artworks by leading Australian artists was donated to the newly constructed Armidale Teachers’ College by the retired shipping agent, Howard Hinton OBE (1867-1948). The Hinton Collection provides a snapshot into Australian artistic practice in the early twentieth century as well as some insights into this ‘modest and self-effacing’ gentleman. The Lindsay family is strongly represented as is Streeton, Roberts, Gruner, Hilder, Murch and Feint. In 1974 when the Armidale Teachers' College transitioned to become the Armidale College of Advanced Education, this collection became the foundation for the development of the New England Regional Art Museum.
At that time, teachers had to do a two-year indenture and had to note their choice of area. Lin put down 'anywhere but central New South Wales'. She was then stationed at Trundle, about as central NSW as you can get. Lin taught at Trundle Central School in the 1950s and then started her family with the birth of her children Jane (1959), David (1961) and Rebecca (1966). Lin returned to teaching in the 1960s and early 70s but in ??????? started the Swingle Bar Gallery in Trundle with two friends, Judy Pike and Pauline Pike.
Lin loved Australian art, fuelled by her time at Armidale Teachers' College and the wonderful Hinton collection which was hung in the halls of the college. She was exposed to many artists, including Norman Lindsay, of which Hinton collected. He was good friends with both Norman and Rose Lindsay. Always wanting to be involved in art, the Swingle Bar for Lin was the first step in this direction. During this time she made contact with Jane Glad (Norman Lindsay's daughter) who had a gallery at Strathfield. Jane supplied Lin with Lindsay works and in 1969 Lin met Norman at his home in Springwood.
Teaching in Bogan Gate and then in Trundle, by 1973 she had decided to move to Sydney to open a commercial gallery. Bloomfield Galleries began in Crows Nest, Sydney in May 1973 and was opened on 6 June by Roger Climpson, then a well-known and respected news reader on Channel 7.
The gallery opened with a mixed exhibition of works and the friendship between Lin and Jane was cemented with Bloomfield Galleries becomming the go-to gallery for Norman Lindsay works after Jane's Strathfield gallery closed.
The gallery exhibited established and up-and-coming artists with solo and group exhibitions. Major exhibitions included Norman Lindsay, Frank Hinder, Ralph Balson, Bill Pidgeon and Vincent Brown. Other artists represented by the gallery were Jeremy Gordon, Angus Nivison, Hadyn Wilson, Liz Cumming, Charlie Cooper, Barry Otto and Ruth Faeber, among others.
As well as a gallery director, Lin was also an author. In 1978 she was asked to edit a book on Norman Lindsay's range of artistic endeavours to be published in his centenary year, 1979, titled The World of Norman Lindsay. Lin gathered writers to write a chapter on their expertise/interest that corresponded with Norman's artistic output which included etchings, drawings, paintings, sculpture, Bulletin cartoons, books, etc.
Lin then began Odana Editions as the publishing arm of Bloomfield Galleries with the release of the first eleven Norman Lindsay Facsimile Etchings on 30 November 1974. Then followed Odana's first book, Frank Hinder: Lithographs in 1978, and further books and Facsimile Etchings followed. Odana Editions developed into an independent publisher of high quality books on Australian artists and limited edition art reproductions by Norman Lindsay.
Lin became the Chair of the Commercial Galleries Association in ?????? where she servied for two years. In 1986 she was awarded a honarary Fellowship to the Arts by the University of New South Wales. The Complete Etchings of Norman Lindsay was shortlisted in the Prime Minister's Book Awards for 1999 and won the Gold Award for printing.
Lin passed away on 17 October 2023. She left behind a huge legacy in the world of Norman Lindsay and never wavered in her love and appreciation for his work. The etchings copyright, owned by Lin, was passed onto Jane, Rebecca and David Bloomfield (her children) and will be ongoing until 31 December 2039.
BOOKS PUBLISHED BY ODANA EDITIONS
Frank Hinder: Lithographs 1978 (Lin Bloomfield)
Vincent Brown: Life and Work 1980 (Lin Bloomfield)
L Roy Davies: Wood Engravings 1980 (Lin Bloomfield)
The World of Norman Lindsay, 1995 (Editor Lin Bloomfield)
Norman Lindsay: Impulse to Draw 1996 (Lin Bloomfield)
The Complete Etchings of Norman Lindsay 1998 (Lin Bloomfield)
Norman Lindsay Etchings: Catalogue Raisonne 1999, 2006 (Lin Bloomfield)
Rose Lindsay: A Model Life 2001 (Rose Lindsay)
Norman Lindsay: Artful Cats 2001 (Introduction by Meg Stewart)
Norman Lindsay: Watercolours 1897-1969 2003 (Lin Bloomfield)
Norman Lindsay: Oil Paintings 1889-1969 2006 (Lin Bloomfield)
Norman Lindsay: 80 Years of Pencil Drawing 2008 (Lin Bloomfield)
BOOKS PUBLISHED BY OTHER PUBLISHERS
The World of Norman Lindsay (Macmillan) 1979 (Editor Lin Bloomfield)
The World of Norman Lindsay (Sun Papermac) 1983 (Editor Lin Bloomfield)
Norman Lindsay: Impulse to Draw (Bay Books) 1984 (Lin Bloomfield)
