Jenna Lee dissects and reconstructs colonial 'Indigenous dictionaries' and embeds the works with new cultural meaning. Long obsessed with the duality of the destructive and healing properties that fire can yield, this element has been applied to the paper in the forms of burning and mark-making. In Without Us, Lee uses charcoal to conceal the text on the page, viewing this process as a ritualistic act of reclaiming and honouring Indigenous heritage while challenging the oppressive legacies of colonialism. Lee explains in Art Guide (2022), ‘These books in particular [used to create the proposed works] are Aboriginal language dictionaries—but there’s no such thing as “Aboriginal language”. There are hundreds of languages. The dictionary just presents words, with no reference to where they came from. It was specifically published by collating compendiums from the 1920s, 30s and 40s, with the purpose to give [non-Indigenous] people pleasant sounding Aboriginal words to name children, houses and boats. And yet the first things that were taken from us was our language, children, land and water. And the reason our words were so widely written down was because [white Australians] were trying to eradicate us. They thought we were going extinct. The deeper you get into it, the darker it gets. But the purpose of my work is to take those horrible things and cast them as something beautiful.’Framed artwork

A rare example of an Australian colonial bookmark and also an early Braille bookmark, with the name of the recipient added in Braille. This bookmark was issued at the Adelaide International Exhibition in 1887.card stitched to burgundy silk ribbon printed around perimeter with T Gifford in Braille on card.school for the blind, adelaide, international exhibition, gifford, 1887, braille

It is made from polished fiddleback, Blackwood and sassafras, and studded with ornamental metalwork.This item is aesthetically significant, as it is an example of Arts and Crafts movement, 1880's Hand made Picture Frame, made by Local Korumburra, Carpenter and Builder Mr. Dan Jarvis. As a Builder, this item was made as a hobby item which showed his Excellent skills with minute craftsmanship. It was selected, and featured as item 233, in Murray Walkers catalog, Colonial Crafts of Victoria, published in 1978, for the Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, November 1978 to January 1979.This hand-made picture frame is an example of the Arts and Crafts movement from the 1880's. It was made by Local Korumburra carpenter and builder, Mr. Dan Jarvis. This showed his excellent skills with minute craftsmanship. It was selected in 1978, and featured as item 233 in Murray Walker’s catalogue, Colonial Crafts of Victoria, for the exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria.

non-fictionA Girl at Government House These reminiscences of an English girl 'in service' present a remarkably lively portrait of Australia in the eighteen eighties and nineties. The story is delightfully different, an evocation of a little-documented side of life in nineteenth century Australia. Brisbane during the Jubilee, Sydney Centennial celebrations, and the Melbourne Exhibition provide the background to the colourful, continuous whirl of dinners, balls and garden parties of colonial society. Juxtaposed with the social roundabout are the lives and loves of the ordinary people who were 'a free and easy lot, and homely too'. The charmingly naive Agnes has come from England 'knowing no more than a babe unborn how it came into the world'; her rustic vision quaintly interpreted Australia as 'beautiful flowers without any scent' and fostered the belief that snakes will never die till sunset, however early they are killed'. An adventurous spirit and insatiable curiosity lead Agnes from one great house to another. Governors and grooms, ladies and laundry-maids — all are described with enchanting directness and compelling humour. Great care has been take to illustrate Agnes's story with authentic photographs depicting the people and places mentioned in her narrative. Captivating in its freshness, this delightful story is faithfully recorded with sparkling spontaneity. (inside cover)agnes stokes, servant

Colour Copy of Plan of the General Survey from the Town of Malmsbury to the Porcupine Inn, from the sources of Forest Creek to Golden Point, shewing (sic) the Alexandrian Range also Sawpit Gully Bendigo and Bullock Creeks. Handwritten note under the title a follows '' Forwarded to the Colonial Secretary with my letter No A 53/105 dated 30th March 1853 for transmission to the Geological Surveyor. R Hoddle Surveyor General. ' Stamped by Department of Mines Victoria with record#123 in Top right Hand corner. Also contains a catalogue number 2053/M/2. Part of the Contents of a DVD entitled 'Mapping Great Change' - Archival Maps, produced to support an exhibition in the Post Office Gallery Bendigo. A description of the Map, its history and implications for both historical and future discussions is contained in an Essay 'Mapping Great Changes' : The landscape of central Victoria by Gerry Gill.R. Hoddlemap, bendigo, country lands