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Biography: Tompkins, Lilian Gladys

A painting of Changi Prison Camp during the Second World War by Gladys Tompkins

A painting of Changi Prison Camp during the Second World War by Gladys Tompkins
As a prisoner of the Japanese, Gladys Tompkins filled in long days by painting watercolours of her surroundings; this view of the Changi prison courtyard shows trestle tables used for drying clothes, and plants grown by the inmates to supplement their inadequate diet.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: C-095-003

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

How to cite this page

Rae M. Riach. 'Tompkins, Lilian Gladys', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 2000. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/2955/a-painting-of-changi-prison-camp-during-the-second-world-war-by-gladys-tompkins (accessed 23 June 2026).