David Whitbread was the Head of Graphic Design at the University of Canberra and the Design Director of the Australian Government Publishing Service.
With a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design (Swinburne), he has also run his own design consultancy, David Whitbread Design, until 2004 when he became the Director of Corporate Communications, then Web and Design, for an Australian Government department.
He was art director and one of the co-authors of the Australian Government’s Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers (6th edition, Wiley, 2002) and wrote a monthly ‘Design’ column in Niche Publishing’s Australian MacWorld for 11 years.
The Design Manual was first published by UNSW Press in 2001 and was reprinted four times before the revised and expanded second edition was released in 2009.
His work has received recognition in the Australian Book Publishers Association Design Awards, the National Print Awards and, with The Design Manual, The Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing.
He received an Industry Award for Excellence in 2001 and has been a member of the Australian Graphic Design Association since its foundation.
For some years, he was the Secretary and events manager of the ACT Chapter and editor of AGenDA, the national newsletter, of the Australian Graphic Design Association. He has also been the National Secretary of the Design in Education Council of Australia.
He was a speaker at the first Australian Communication Conference, ‘Teaching communication skills in a technological era’, in Melbourne in 1996; the National Library of Australia’s first summer school, ‘Illustrating ideas’, in Canberra in 1996; and Sydney Design 99, the joint international congress of the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (ICOGRADA), the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) and the International Federation of Interior Architects/Interior Designers.
He has judged national photography and student design competitions.
In his ‘other life’, David has also performed on piano as associate artist in cabaret performances at the Queanbeyan School of Arts Café and Teatro Vivaldi in Canberra, with productions touring to Capers Dinner Theatre in Melbourne and appearances in Sydney and the Gold Coast.
For 25 years, he has been a member of the popular Canberra-based Aeolus Wind Trio, in which he plays the bassoon. In addition, he also performs on bassoon with Weston Winds.
In 2004, David also recorded Rumpole-esque bassoon solos for the National Archives of Australia’s permanent exhibition on the Centenary of the High Court of Australia.
He accompanied on piano and produced vocal arrangements for the Woden Valley Youth Choir for many years and toured with them to Japan in 1985 and Brisbane in 1988.
He was musical director and on-stage accompanist for the acclaimed Canberra production of Noel and Gertie.
Since their founding in 1995, David has been one of the judges of the Canberra Area Theatre Awards. He has also judged ice skating and Shakespeare competitions.
In 2003 and 2004, he was the artistic director and general manager of Canberra Youth Music, a community organisation of orchestras, bands and choirs.
He lives in Canberra with Brigid and their daughters, Kathleen, Maggie and Elizabeth.
