"The breeze going through the eel trap gives a feeling of water flowing through the vessel with the feathers softly waiving as the water flows. My grandfather Nicholas Couzens and my uncles made eel traps to fish the Hopkins River - this is how my mother learnt the techniques which she passed on to me."Bronwyn RAZEM Gunditjmara/Kirrae Whurrong Bronwyn Razem is an Indigenous Australian basket weaver and painter. She is a Gunditjmara woman of the Kirrae Whurrong clan of western Warrnambool on the Victorian coastline. Bronwyn’s practice involves an exploration of her Indigenous heritage and identity, and she creates symbolic representations of places and events that are meaningful to her family. She integrates ochres, sand and other materials into her paintings, and her works also draw on the possum skin cloak traditions of her ancestors. In 2008, Bronwyn was chosen by the Australia Council for the Arts to be part of a delegation of Indigenous artists to attend the 10th Pacific Arts Festival in Western Samoa. Bronwyn’s mother, Aunty Zelda Couzens, was a well-respected basket weaver and elder who taught Bronwyn basket-making techniques. Bronwyn now regularly conducts basket weaving workshops with Victorian Indigenous communities in order to facilitate the revival of cultural traditions. She has a Bachelor of Arts with Honours at Deakin University, and in 2008 she was enrolled in a Master by Research degree at Deakin Institute of Koorie Education, Geelong, and was living in Ballarat. (https://www.daao.org.au/bio/bronwyn-razem/biography/, accessed 18 April 2016) This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 1000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.Bronwyn RAZEM (1953- ) Gunditjmara/Kirraw Wurrong A woven New Zealand flax eel trap with emu feathers. This work won the University of Ballarat Acquisitive Award for work reflecting Victoria's Western District. The judges were impressed by Bronwyn Razem's translation of the traditional eel trap into a sculptural form evocative of the flow of water and possible the passage of time. The design and technical knowhow which Razem inherited from her mother, uncles, and grandfather connects this work to the family;s life and traditions. She then enhances the simplicity of this very functional object by the addition of delicate emu feathers, creating a work that creatively and symbolically transcends its original form. art, artwork, bronwyn razem, razem, eel trap, aboriginal, indigenous, available

Framed portrait of Diana J. Jones who the first female president of the Association for the Blind since Tilly Aston. It is part of a series of paintings commissioned by the AFB Board to commemorate the work of past presidents of the organisation. Mrs Jones sits facing the painter with both hands clasped in her lap. She is wearing a black double breasted blazer, white shirt, blue beaded necklace and earrings and a gold bracelet . A white kerchief sits in her breast pocket. Diana Jones served for 8 years on the General Committee before being elected President. During this time she was deputy chairman of the Reach Out Appeal to raise funds for the building program and President of the Honorary Services Group which co-ordinated volunteers and gave them a spokesperson on the General Committee. In her 8 years as President a great deal was accomplished. New centres were opened or extended throughout Victoria and the Metropolitan area, volunteer services expanded and the Vision Resource Centre at Kooyong was built into which 3RPH radio was relocated. A Vision Information hotline, audiology services and the National Centre for Ageing and Sensory Loss were established, the Braille and Talking Book libraries was incorporated into the Association and the Charlie Bradley Cricket Pavilion opened at Kooyong. In 1990 Diana Jones became a member of the first Board of Directors of the newly incorporated Association for the Blind Ltd which ushered in a new era, requiring strict observance of financial and accounting methods in order to ensure continued Government funding. Mrs Jones was highly regarded by clients, volunteers and staff as a capable hard-working leader. Her services to the Association and over many years to the wider community, were recognised in her appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia in the 1993 Queen's Birthday Honours. She passed away in July 2009.1 art original in gold frame The plaque at the base of the painting reads 'Dame Diana J. Jones, AM DSJ / President 1984- 1992 / Association for the Blind'. association for the blind, diana jones

The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, the largest Buddha carved from gemstone-quality jade in the world, is the centerpiece of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Australia. Standing 2.5 meters tall and weighing 4 tonnes, this priceless Buddhist statue toured over 120 cities across 20 countries from 2009 to 2018, inspiring peace in families, schools, and communities worldwide. After attracting an estimated 12 million visitors, it returned to the Great Stupa in May 2018, where it continues to be a potent symbol of peace.This artwork was presented to the Great Stupa to commemorate the Jade Buddha viewing at the Minh Quang Temple in Sydney.jade buddha, memorabilia