1951
Howard Arkley was born 5 May in Melbourne. He attended Surrey Hills Primary School and Box Hill Technical School.

1966
Arkley saw the exhibition of Sydney Nolan’s Ned Kelly series at the National Gallery of Victoria. It was then that he realised it was possible to be a professional artist. In fact the very next day he began painting.

1969
Arkley attended TOP (Tertiary Orientation Program) at Prahran College of Advanced Education.

1970–75
Studied painting. Diploma of Art & Design (Painting)
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1973
Attended Melbourne State College and obtained a Diploma of Education. Married Elizabeth Gower and lived in Chapel St, Prahran.

1975
April held his first exhibition White Paintings at Tolarno Galleries in St Kilda, Melbourne.

1976
Awarded the Alliance Française Art Fellowship and spent the following twelve months travelling with Elizabeth Gower in Europe and the United States. In Paris he began photographing Art Nouveau and Art Deco doorways which, on his return to Melbourne, lead to his interest in the designs and patterns of fly–screens and suburban gates.

1977
March – Arkley’s father died.
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1980
Arkley painted a tram for the Victorian Ministry of the Arts, Tram 384.

1980–85
Taught TOP at Prahran College of Advanced Education. Separated from Elizabeth Gower. Met Lyn Oliver.

1981
The National Gallery of Victoria purchased two acrylic panels and four chairs called Muzak Mural–Chair Tableau of 1980–81.

1982
Arkley exhibited at the NGV in the exhibition Popism curated by Paul Taylor amongst friends Jenny Watson and Juan Davila. In the same year he completed his giant doodle Primtitve to exhibit at the Prahran College Gallery.
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1983
Arkley commenced a first series of Tattoo paintings.

1987
Married Christine Johnson

1988
Exhibited at 200 Gertrude Street Gallery, Casual works: Working Drawings, Source Material, Doodles 1974–1987 from which the NGV purchased Tattooed Head.

1989
Lived with Alison Burton in St Kilda.

1991
Monash University held a retrospective of Arkley’s work. Arkley decided to move to Warrigal Rd, Oakleigh.
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1991-1993
Blue Chip Show collaboration with Juan Davila, Tolarno.

1997
Fabricated Rooms AGNSW coincided with Ashley Crawford, Ray Edgar’s book about Arkley’s work Spray.

1999
June – Venice Biennale. Exhibited The Home Show at the 48th Venice Biennale with world wide acclaim.

1999
July – two days after his return to Melbourne from overseas he was found dead in his Oakleigh studio.
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