In addition to being a renowned painter of the outback, Hugh Sawrey was the founder and first chairman of the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame in Longreach, Queensland. After serving in the Royal Australian Air Force during WWII in New Guinea, where he was part of a service squad, Sawrey returned to Australia. He ran cattle on a small property he owned and worked as a ... drover to supplement his income.

Sawrey began painting around campfires in the 1950s and because of increased demand, fully dedicated himself to his art in 1964. He honed a distinctive style that quickly gained popularity with the Australian public. Most of his works draw inspiration from his experiences as a drover and the colourful characters he encountered along the way.