Pete Jesser is an artist, musician and bushman who has had a long association with the outback and it’s characters. Born in Burra, Pete lived most of his childhood in the railhead town of Yunta. His father was a rabbit buyer for H H Bodley and sons and Pete spent much time on the pick up rounds through the station country in the north east of South Australia.

In particular, Frome Downs cattle station made a lasting impression on his thoughts and life. He became involved in not only the lives of the shooters and their eccentric ways but spent many school holidays on the cattle camps and working on the station. At 12 he made a cattle drive from Frome Downs to the railhead at Yunta with Bill McKenzies celebrated droving team. The passion for the sandhill country became deeply imbedded  and remains as a major motivation for his art work.

At Yunta, Pete’s talent for painting and drawing was recognized at an early age and he painted murals and posters around the town including the town hall. His parents explored the possibility of sending him to Broken Hill to study under Pro Hart but instead decided to move to Adelaide to further his education and opportunity. He studied art for four years at the SA School of Art and taught secondary art in between pursuing his passion for the bush.

In his early twenties he left the city and lived in the sandhills of Frome Downs as a professional shooter, later moving to Moolawatana, Wyambana outstation, the Coopers creek and the Northern Territory. He continues to travel through the outback sourcing ideas for his art works, songwriting and playing music in many outback centres.

He held his first solo exhibition in the Port Pirie Regional Gallery in 1996 and has exhibited in the Greenhill galleries with Pro Hart, Greenaway galleries in Darwin and in many others.

Pete’s association with John and Sonia Bayley of Wirraminna station has rekindled his passion for painting the outback and Wirraminna has presented a myriad of diverse subjects.  

From the delicate salt lakes, the rolling sandhills, the red drift sand, the scrublands, the beautiful myalls and the resilient tablelands Pete has passionately depicted this ancient land with years of experience and respect for the bush.