Rubery Bennett was born in Clayfield, Queensland in 1893.

He studied at the Royal Queensland Art Society School with John Salvana. From 1915-c1917 he studied life drawing at Central Technical College and later studied drawing with Fred Britton in Sydney (1928-30).

Called Rubery, rather than his full name of William Rubery, Bennett was an important figure in the Australian art scene of the 1920’s-50’s as a gallery director, secretary-treasurer of the RQAS and impressionist painter.

In 1919 he joined the Queensland Art Society and exhibited with them until 1923. He was honorary secretary of the Queensland Artists Society from 1920 to 1923.

He moved to Sydney in 1923 and established an art gallery, which he ran until 1956. He also managed the annual Royal Art Society exhibitions, the AWI and the Painters-Etchers Society. His gallery became an important showcase for works by late Australian impressionist artists such as W. Lister Lister, Harold Herbert, Percy Lindsay and A.H. Fullwood, as well as modernist artists including Margaret Preston, Thea Proctor, Donald Friend and Lloyd Rees amongst others. He presented the first exhibition of Thomas Garrett in 1929.

His own impressionist style paintings, in which he sought to capture the pervading light of summer landscapes, also became popular. In 1947 he held his first solo exhibition at Sedon Galleries in Melbourne, followed by solos shows in Brisbane 1957-67 and at the Block Gallery in Melbourne 1965-72.

He continued painting and exhibiting until his death at age 93.

He is represented in the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Queensland Art Gallery and many regional collections including Benalla, Bendigo, Castlemaine and the Gold Coast. International collections include the collection of HRH Queen Elizabeth II.