In England, Arthur spent time at his house in Suffolk painting landscapes. A print retrospective at Maltzan Gallery is held in London. Lysistrata collaboration was commenced with Peter Porter in 1970.
Arthur took up a Creative Arts Fellowship at ANU in October 1971. He looked at properties around Canberra and visited Bundanon in late 1971 for two weeks as the guest of owners Frank McDonald and Sandra and Tony McGrath. Bundanon had a profound effect on Arthur.
Arthur returned to Canberra early 1972 and painted plein air using landscape, figures in landscape and the colours and high key tones of the Shoalhaven. He returned to England and decided to establish an Australian base on the Shoalhaven River. He asked Frank McDonald to look out for properties in the vicinity of Bundanon.
In England Arthur continued work inspired by Shoalhaven landscape, including paintings questioning his calling as an artist. A major exhibition at Fischer Fine Art, London was held.
He purchases Riversdale on the banks of the Shoalhaven near Bundanon and added to the buildings to create a home and studio. He returned to Australia in October 1974 and lived at Eearie Park while work at Riversdale was completed. He observed the Shoalhaven River in flood for the first time, which delayed the move into Riversdale until May 1975.
Inspired by the election of Gough Whitlam, Arthur presented a major gift of paintings, ceramics, prints and drawings to the National Gallery of Australia. He continued Shoalhaven artworks and collaborated with poet Peter Porter on The Lady and the Unicorn, their second joint work. Porter’s visit to Riversdale also resulted in a third collaboration, Narcissus. Returning to England he had a major exhibition at Fischer Fine Art, London. He began the Narcissus series in 1977.
Arthur and Yvonne Boyd purchased Bundanon from Sandra and Tony McGrath and Frank McDonald in the summer of 1979.
