Artist Leonard French said of this work:- "The centre panel suggests a tree of knowledge growing out of a jewelled fish (a spiritual accompaniment is intended), and from the tree birds rise, spreading out through the cloud shapes of the other panels. Hands and figures rise from the earth, reaching for the birds. The left hand panel depicts the journey of figures in a boat, the seeking after or journeying to the source of knowledge. The far right hand panel is the garden, figures in a primitive state, a sort of evolution of figures from a primitive garden (the first garden). Visualization, verbalization, music and dance are tools we have to express a concept. The analysis of an art work is a delicate and sensitive task and great harm can be done in an attempt to become verbal about a form which relies upon elements peculiar to itself for intrinsic meaning." Leonard FRENCH (OBE) (08 October 1928 - 10 January 2017) Born Brunswick, Victoria Died Heathcote, Victoria Known for his enormous dalle de verre (concrete and slab glass) ceiling in the Great Hall of the National Gallery of Victoria Leonard French produced a large body of work throughout his lifetime. French won the Sulman Prize in 1960, and the Blake Prize for Religious Art in 1963 and in 1980. He was also awarded a Harkness Fellowship in 1965. In the Queen's Birthday Honours of June 1968 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. In early 1959 Leonard French was commissioned by the Ballarat Teachers' College students to paint a mural. The students were responsible for the payment of the work. When unveiled artist George Bush remarked: "the 1959 students have left something not just to 'oooh' and 'ah' at, but something that is thought provoking, arresting and interesting. This work of art keeps something in reserve and draws you to search for deeper meaning behind the splendour of colour. This mural is not one which will not fade the interest of its beholders, but one which will provide intrigue for generations to come." Originally French intended the mural to be five panels, each entitled (left to right) 'the Journey', 'Man', 'The Tree', 'The Earth', 'The Garden'. The finished mural was reduced to four panels with the central tree incorporated into the panels 'Earth' and 'Man'. Ballarat Teachers' College Art lecturer Arch Cuthbertson explained that the artist:- "Aims at evoking emotional flashed, opening doors to simultaneous thinking and feeling. To accomplish this he juxtaposes the threads of conscious and unconscious images, thus effecting a tapestry that allows many points of reference to converge upon his singular images. Whether the colours offer metaphysical sensations or convey a literal meaning will depend upon the breadth and depth of the viewer's experience. Similarly with the bird - we might well ask is it a defiance of gravity, a metaphysical ascension or the elusive winged knowledge? Again the answer could well be that these three associations have a singular purpose. " This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 2000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.A four panel mural by Leonard French, commissioned and gifted by the Ballarat Teachers' College Student in 1959. Art lecturer Arch Cuthbertson was highly involved in this commission. Artist Charles Bush unveiled the mural at the Ballarat Teachers' College in Gillies Street, Ballarat. At that time he said:- "You have left behind you on object which will be full of interest to a lot of people. A work of art, so long as it is in existence, is constantly under review. Most of the good things that keep on going are usually to the uninitiated a little worrying. Many of you will be worried by this, because it does not make its message immediately clear. But come back and assess it again and again." art, leonard french, french, artwork, mural, ballarat teachers' college, class of 1959

The Red Ribbon Movement of 1853 represented a significant series of events in the history of Bendigo. During that year there was much agitation on the Bendigo gold fields, particularly during July and August of 1853, directed against the payment of what the miners called a tax - a licence fee of thirty shillings ($3) a month for the right to search for gold on what was declared Crown land. They had to pay the licence whether they found gold or not. The miners, or diggers as they were called, also resented the means used by the authorities at the time to collect the gold licence - through so-called 'digger hunts'. The miners were expected to carry their licences with them, and the police, who were often untrained, used harsh methods to check these licences. In Bendigo, the miners took to wearing a red ribbon ‘as a symbol of their protest against the licence. Red was a very common colour in items such as shirts, so was readily available. Shopkeepers too tied red ribbons to their premises as a sign of support for the miners. It should be remembered at that time virtually everyone was a miner. The diggers also had their own banner, designed by William Dexter, a china painter from Devon. This flag showed the pick, shovel and cradle representing labour, the scales representing justice, the Roman bundle of sticks meaning unity and the kangaroo and emu of Australia Many thousands of Bendigo miners signed a petition to La Trobe, the Governor of Victoria, protesting against the licence fee. When the Governor rejected the petition, thousands of diggers marched in peaceful protest. Miners from White Hills, Eaglehawk, Golden Square, Kangaroo Flat as well as from Bendigo Flat, converged on what is now Pall Mall and View Point, surrounding the ~government camp on Camp Hill. The camp had been reinforced with soldiers of the 40 Regiment, as the Government feared bloodshed. The miners then gathered on the hill behind View Point to hear from their leaders - among them George Thomson, Captain Harrison, Captain Brown and W.D.C. Denovan. They resolved to pay a token fee often shillings ($1) for the September licence, whenthey met with Commissioners Panton and Wright on Camp Hill. Although Wright and Panton were sympathetic to the miners, the offer was rejected, but no licence fees were collected for September. Thus a possible bloody conflict was averted by the common sense shown by the miners' leaders and the commissioners. It was a truly democratic protest against arbitrary government and preceded the Eureka Stockade Incident by over a year. Bendigo Historical Society Committee on a Tram, two photos, one of five people standing behind a display cabinet, and the second one a Banner stretched across the tram. On the rear of the photo is "L-R Jim Evans, Terry Davidson, Ron Monro." Second from left is Jim Evans (President) and fourth from the left is Terry Davidson, with extreme right, Ron Munro (Vice President). In the cabinet is the 1853 Bendigo Goldfields Petition (Red Ribbon Rebellion) The society holds the petition in digital form. The diggers had their own banner, designed by William Dexter, a china painter from Devon. This flag showed the pick, shovel and cradle representing labour, the scales representing justice, the Roman bundle of sticks meaning unity and the kangaroo and emu of Australia history, bendigo, tram, 1853 bendigo goldfields petition, red ribbon rebellions

17 students: Guy McCutcheon, Aidin Bautista, Matthew Packwood, David Clarke, Stuart Fountain, Jason Lipscome, Stephen van Elst, Stacey Quick, Matthew Scully, Steven Skrekovski, Vanessa McCoy, Matthew Aylmer, Andrew Fiscalini, Melanie Woolcock, Patrick Filipiak, Mark Byvoet, Nigel Harvey. Music credit: Luke Chisholm Successfully tested on vintage Macintosh G4 with Mac OS 9.2.2CD Rom featuring work of third year Graphic Design graduates, 1998. Printed two colour, black and white, on silver disc, in metallic silver plastic sleeve with one colour print (white). The interactive/multimedia CD Rom was developed using Macromedia Director 6.5, finalised on 14 October 1998. 2.3Mb of data.university of ballarat, federation university, graphic design, helmut stenzel, guy mccutcheon, aidin bautista, matthew packwood, david clarke, stuart fountain, jason lipscome, stephen van elst, stacey quick, matthew scully, steven skrekovski, vanessa mccoy, matthew aylmer, andrew fiscalini, melanie woolcock, patrick filipiak, mark byvoet, nigel harvey., luke chisholm

Accompanying the CD Rom in its plastic sleeve, this ten page roll-fold brochure, printed in two colours (black and a metallic silver-blue).Ten page roll-fold brochure, printed in two colours (black and a metallic silver-blue).university of ballarat, federation university, graphic design, helmut stenzel

Poster promoting University of Ballarat, third year Graphic Design graduate exhibition, 1998. Opening held Thursday 12 November 1998, 6.00pm at Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran (Melbourne). Exhibition was then open daily until 23 November 1998. The exhibition was opened by Jonathan Barnbrook, UK type designer, who was also external assessor for the graduating students that year.Single colour (black) offset print on newsprint. Crush folded.university of ballarat, federation university, graphic design, helmut stenzel

Coaster promoting University of Ballarat, third year Graphic Design graduate exhibition, 1998. Opening held Thursday 12 November 1998, 6.00pm at Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran (Melbourne). Exhibition was then open daily until 23 November 1998. The exhibition was opened by Jonathan Barnbrook, UK type designer, who was also external assessor for the graduating students that year.Circular coaster printed single colour offset, brown ink, featuring a stylised "coffee stain" and text.university of ballarat, federation university, graphic design, helmut stenzel

Coaster promoting University of Ballarat, third year Graphic Design graduate exhibition, 1998. Opening held Thursday 12 November 1998, 6.00pm at Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran (Melbourne). Exhibition was then open daily until 23 November 1998. The exhibition was opened by Jonathan Barnbrook, UK type designer, who was also external assessor for the graduating students that year.Circular coaster printed single colour offset, brown ink, featuring a stylised "coffee stain" and text.university of ballarat, federation university, graphic design, helmut stenzel

painting