David Dallwitz was born in Freeling, South Australia, on October 25, 1914. From 1933 to 1937 he trained as an artist and art teacher at the South Australian School of Art. A fellow of the Royal South Australian Society of Arts, in 1943 he was prominently associated with the formation of the Society, being its first president. Through the forties, fifties and sixtires, he exhibited with both art societies, but didn't have a one-man exhibition until 1969 when he exhibited at the Central Street Gallery in Sydney. After his retirement in 1974 at the age of sixty, relieved of the burden of teaching, he began painting much more prolifically, and since 1976 has had a one-man exhibition approximately every two years (since 1979 at Greenhill Galleries Adelaide). Since 1945 he has been active in trad jazz as band leader, performer and composer, and it was in recognition of this activity that he was awarded the A.O in 1986. In the same year his contributions to art and music were recognised by a plaque, one of 150, set into the pavement on North Terrace, Adelaide. Apart from numerous private collections in Australia, Great Britain, America, Germany and Italy, he is represented in the Australian National Gallery, the Art Gallery of South Australia, Art Bank, and the University of South Australia.