Robert Ulmann was born in Zurich, Switzerland, where he studied sculpture and painting, exhibiting annually with the National Art Society of Switzerland and in Paris, Munich and Stockholm. He migrated to Canada in 1956 and became a Canadian citizen. After working on the restoration of sculpture on the west wing of the Parliament Buildings Ottawa, he took up a Government appointment as one of six artist advisers to the Eskimos, initiating handicraft and sculpture programs in isolated settlements across the Central Arctic. He arrived in Australia with his Australian wife, Helen, in 1969, after two adventurous years backpacking and sketching through the United States, Central and South America and the South Pacific. From 1970 to 1972 he was employed by the Northern Territory Administration as a manual arts instructor to the aboriginal people of Docker River, a remote settlement west of Ayers Rock. A series of drawings from this period was exhibited by the Department of the Interior in Canberra, Sydney and Adelaide. Robert Ulmann’s paintings and prints of wildlife from Australia and overseas fill a beautiful studio overlooking the famous Logans Beach whale nursery at Warrnambool in the Western District of Victoria. His previous studio and home, together with 13 years of field sketches and his best work collected together for two books were destroyed by the Ash Wednesday fires at Naringal in 1983. Rob exhibited in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth as well as in the Regional Galleries of Warrnambool, Ballarat, Portland and Horsham, and, among numerous prizes, he won the award for watercolour at six of the annual exhibitions of the Wildlife Art Society of Australasia, between 1978 and 1983. Although his principal interest was in drawing and painting, he retained a fascination with sculpture. His works range from two stone fountains with figures commissioned by the City of Zurich, while he was still a student, to a 4 ½ ton sculpture in bluestone commissioned in 1977 as a memorial to Sir Fletcher Jones., a five metre representation of whale tails in steel, and a life-size bronze of St. John of God commissioned for a private hospital.Image of a goat beginning to rise from a seated position, possible struggling out of mud. Painted in yellow and brown tones, with blue shadows. Earth colours form a rough ground area surrounding the goat. A brown wash provides a cursory background behind the goat's head. Dark cream matt surrounds image. Gold painted wooden frame, with glass.Front: Robert Ulmann (lower centre, paint) Back: (no inscriptions)

Made by Portland Fibre Group, 1996-2004: specifically Mary Sharrock, Dot Kelly, Ollie Dellar, Doris Amor and Ede Bailey.Tapestry woven in wool on twine warp. Cream coloured background with pale blue flecks of colour, central motif of coat of arms - features two birds standing on grey platforms to either side of shield. Central to the shield is a masted sailing vessel sitting atop blue and white horizontal lines representing the ocean. Around the sails of the vessel are radiating yellow rays and a blue surrounds representing sunburst against blue sky. The top third of shield shows a pair of sheep heads against a red background. Above the shield is depicted a helmet, crowned with a whale. Blue plumage is shown coming from the helmet and framing the whale.Front: (Weavers' initials, except Ede Bailey, woven into tapestry and are seen on the hem). Back: (no inscriptions)town of portland, textile, tapestry, weaving

Conservation work of sills - see notes in object file.Two windows, composed of three panels each, arranged vertically. The top and bottom panels of each window are composed of six square glass sections depicting line drawings and figurative depictions in a range of different styles. The centre panels have eight square sections, with similar styles and motifs. A double border of shades of blue in small rectangles surrounds the central sections, which are in shades of yellow, with central rectangular glass in green. Clear glass panels are set on either side of windows.

Black and white photograph of a memorial, surrounded by a post and chain barricade. Beach in background.Front: (no inscriptions) Back: Memorial to Pioneer Women of Victoria at Portland, Victoriamemorial, womens history, pioneer women

Black cotton lace stole. Central leaf pattern is surrounded by border of squares and flowers. Outside border is leaf and flower motif.

CEMA Art Collection Winner of Portland Artist's Society Prize 1961The painting depicts a small building set amongst tall trees and grasses. The building is situated in the centre of the work and is cream with a red roof and red awnings. In the foreground is a large area of long grass which leads into the shorter maintained grass that surrounds the building. Behind the building are numerous tall dark green trees. The work has a wide gilded frame and exposed canvas.Front: (No inscriptions) Back: Jack Freeman 1961 Landscape Dandenong (top right, black handwriting) 18 (white sticker)

Art collectionThe print depicts two tree trunks in the foreground surrounded by bushland. The two tree trunks are composed of patches of white, grey, yellow, light brown and dark brown. The trees in the background are composed of a single colour. On the lower left side is a plant with light blue foliage. The work has a painted wooden frame with small white mount and glass.Front: Hunter (brown handwritten, lower right, partically covered by the mount) Back: 1972 (lead pencil, upper left)