Loris Bugno

Seated comfortably at the Red Cliffs Club beneath a vibrant original oil painting depicting Sturt Desert Peas sits the artist herself. Loris, her daughter Janine and I are musing about who would play Loris in the movie adaptation of her life. Looking at the diminutive Loris, it was decided that Nicole Kidman would not fit the bill, for while Loris’ personality is towering, her frame is not. The search continues, but in the meantime, here is Loris’ story. As were many of Red Cliffs’ early residents, Loris Gleeson is a product of the shifting global order after World War One. Loris’ father, Joseph James Gleeson, was born in Gordon near Ballarat in 1893, The family hail from Tipperary Ireland and arrived in Australia looking for a better life after the vicious famines.