The sarcastic title of this work pokes fun at the old fashioned idea that race should not be the subject of polite conversation. Deacon uses a white and a Black dolly to represent the unequal power dynamics that exist within Australian society. The dolls stand in for people who, based on the colour of their skin, experience the impact of racial inequality in vastly different ways. The cracked head of the white doll reveals an empty void. Symbolically violent, perhaps this emptiness suggests the dolls will never be able to fully comprehend one another’s experiences.This work was curated in RACE 2016 at Wyndham Art Gallery. Destiny Deacon (1956–2024) was a descendant of the KuKu (Far North Queensland) and Erub/Mer (Torres Strait) people. She exhibited nationally and internationally since the early 1990s in solo and group shows. Deacon held two major retrospectives, in 2004 and 2020, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney and at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne respectively. Her 2004 survey show, Walk & don’t look blak, toured to the Metropolitan Museum of Photography in Tokyo, the Tjibao Cultural Centre in Noumea, New Caledonia and Wellington City Gallery in New Zealand. In 2022, she was the recipient of the Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement at First Nations Arts Awards. In the same year, Deacon’s work was shown at the Australian Embassy in Paris in an exhibition titled Destiny - The art of Destiny Deacon. In 2023, Deacon was included in the Sharjah Biennial 15, Thinking Historically in the Present, conceived by the late Okwui Enwezor and curated by Hoor Al Qasimi. In 2024, Deacon's work was exhibited in the 24th Biennale of Sydney, Ten Thousand Suns, curated by Cosmin Costinas and Inti Guerrero. Deacon’s work is held in most major public collections in Australia as well as Tate, London, Museum Moderner Kunst (MUMOK), Stifting Ludwig, Vienna, Austria and Museum Sammlung Essl, Austria.first nations photography, australian photography, australian indigenous art, race, racism, colonisation

Dr. Frances Mary Burke (1907 - 1994) was a textile designer and printer, businesswoman, artist and Australian design advocate and retailer. Burke’s modern abstract textile designs incorporated motifs and colours inspired by Australian Indigenous art, Pacific Island cultures, Australian flora and fauna, English gardens, and the sea and its wildlife. Following Burke’s death in 1994, her life-long companion Miss Fabie Chamberlain donated the contents of Burke’s studio to RMIT University.Single colour screenprint, white fabric with chartreuse coloured print of positive large format design featuring large stylised canna leaf motif.Printed on selvedge 'CANNA LEAF' a "Frances Burke" UNIT COLOUR DESIGN'textile, australian flora, rmit design archives

non-fictionA collection of essays on Indigenous art in mainstream Australia by international Indigenous and non-Indigenous academics, arts administrators and practising artists. fiona foley, fiona nicoll, regina ganter, ole maiava, louise martin-chew, anna haebich, franca tamisari, aboriginal art, indigenous architecture

These eggs could be ostrich eggs from an ostrich farm which operated just out of Marlo. It is likely that they were donated by Kate and Richard Earle who ran the enterprise. Emu and ostrich eggs are perfect for decorating, painting or carving. Emu egg shells have multiple layers ranging from an inner white layer through to the dark green outer layer. The contents must be removed through a small hole (either tool drilled or poked with a needle). After the yolk has been blown out (scrambling the yolk first by poking with a needle will make it easier to remove), the egg needs to be washed through and left to drain dry. It can then be painted, carved, etched or decorated. Emu decorating is a traditional Aboriginal art. The carving of emu eggs by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people was popular in the late 19th century but production declined in the 20th century, partly due to the protection of eggs through legislation. This has been overturned in recent years with the development of commercial emu farms. In the period between the two world wars particularly, with the production of other Aboriginal artefacts for an outside market, the carving of emu eggs provided an important source of income for Aboriginal people in many parts of Australia. It was a widespread practice in the south-east and it was not unusual for Aboriginal people to decorate their own homes with carved eggs and other items created by themselves or community members, serving to affirm an Indigenous identity within the domestic environment. (ref National Gallery of Australia)This item is significant for its uniqueness and aesthetic appeal.Two painted eggs on stands. 1907.1 is painted black and has white emus or ostriches painted on it. 1907.2 is painted white and has black emus or ostriches painted on it. Both stands are wooden with brass pedestals. The eggs are possibly ostrich eggs.handcraft emu-egg ornament ostrich-egg

Emu eggs are perfect for decorating, painting or carving. Emu egg shells have multiple layers ranging from an inner white layer through to the dark green outer layer. The contents must be removed through a small hole (either tool drilled or poked with a needle). After the yolk has been blown out (scrambling the yolk first by poking with a needle will make it easier to remove), the egg needs to be washed through and left to drain dry. It can then be painted, carved, etched or decorated. Emu decorating is a traditional Aboriginal art. The carving of emu eggs by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people was popular in the late 19th century but production declined in the 20th century, partly due to the protection of eggs through legislation. This has been overturned in recent years with the development of commercial emu farms. In the period between the two world wars particularly, with the production of other Aboriginal artefacts for an outside market, the carving of emu eggs provided an important source of income for Aboriginal people in many parts of Australia. It was a widespread practice in the south-east and it was not unusual for Aboriginal people to decorate their own homes with carved eggs and other items created by themselves or community members, serving to affirm an Indigenous identity within the domestic environment. (ref National Gallery of Australia)This item is significant for its uniqueness and its aesthetic appeal.An emu egg which has been painted white and decorated with glued on cord/thread to make a pattern of flowers and leaves.emu-egg ornament handcraft

These are most likely student works from Koorie Art and Design course, 1994. Please note, scanned images are for archive reference only. Images may appear flipped or rotated, and colours may not be accurate.Series of 11 35mm mounted slides, from Koorie Art and Design classes, 1994. university of ballarat, federation university australia, graphic design, art, koorie, aboriginal art, indigenous art, first peoples, bill, rubina, kylie, abraham

Vol. 5, No. 5 (4), Sep-Oct 2000 CONTENTS From Beach to Battleground 3 Talking art with Rick Amor The Poetry of Catharsis 7 New Work by Sandy Jeffs Saltwater 8 Paintings of Sea Country Snake Circle 10 Reviewed by Anna Barden Short Story 12 The Rainbow Shell Theatre Reviews 16 By Kathy Oliver Interview 18 David Moore and why he paints Art Now 21 City of Darebin Biennial Exhibition Australian Classical Music 22 Betty Scarlett William Barak Writing Competition 24 Stories by Emily Borg & Rhiannon Foster New Arts Contributors 26 Were Street Cafe & Studio19 Artin About 27 Wining & Dining 30 Poetry 32 By Shelton Lea Artist's Services 32 "Peter Dougherty has been involved in the local art scene for many years. As publisher and editor of the arts magazine Artstreams, his comments on the various branches of the arts are widely respected. His "The Arts" column in the Diamond Valley Leader presents a brief summary for a much wider cross section of the local community. Peter also operates his own gallery and the Artstreams Cafe at the St Andrews market. Peter has a wealth of knowledge about present day and historical aspects of local art and artists." - Eltham District Historical Society Newsletter No. 161, March 2005Colour front and back cover with feature articles and literary pieces with photographs and advertisements printed in black and white. 36 pages, 30 cm. Vol. 1, no. 1 (Nov. 1996) - Vol. 10, no. 5 (summer ed. 2005/​06) art streams, rick amor, willy wonka's ice cream gourmet food, bulleen art & garden centre, sandy jeffs, museum of modern art at heide, sea country, indigenous paintings, roberta sykes, kinglake gallery, sue yardley, alan marshall short story award, plenty ranges arts & convention centre, eltham little theartre, warrandyte theartre company, eltham wiregrass gallery, david moore, montsalvat, art now, at winter's end festival, artstreams publications, amberley, anthology of australian music on disc, plenty views golf park, wayne viney, william barak short story competition, emily borg, rhiannon foster, dynamic vegies, maria pellicano, steve pellicano, were street cafe, gemma lynch-memory, adriane strampp, nina christesen, stephanie holt, st andrews market, thompsons pharmacy

Published Diamond Valley Leader, 2 Nov. 2005 The 2005 Rotary Eltham Town Festival for the first time included an indigineous component with a marquee in Alistair Knox Park dedicated to the theme. Colin McKinnon of the Mia Mia Gallery in Westerfolds Park coordinated the program.Newsprinteltham festival, 2005, eltham community festival, rotary club of eltham, rotary eltham town festival, aboriginal australians, colin mckinnon, indigenous art, mia mia gallery, one fire dance troupe

Neil Douglas (1911 - 2003) was an artist and conservationist. In 1964 he founded a co-operative consisting of families who wished to live in harmony with the bush and indigenous wildlife at Bend of Islands, Kangaroo Ground. Contents: 1. Photocopy from unknown community newspaper October 1978: "The Balancing of Nature" an interview with Neil Douglas. Page also includes an article" Ecology" about plans being drafted for the construction of a completely biodegradable 100% organic school which refers to the unnamed Eltham College. 2. Folio depicting six artworks by Neil Douglass produced by Toorak Art Gallery, South Yarra. The paintings are: “Summer Creek”, “Eighteen Emus", "The Strange Australian Presence" (Black and white), "Ways before the Whiteman - Kangaroo Pad" (Wyperfeld National Park), (back and white) with caption, "Swipers Gully" and “Bush in Drought” (date unknown).neil douglas, paintings, etham college

46 pagesnon-fictionContent includes text and photos of a totem pole under construction for Festival Melbourne2006, the cultural festival of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. CARVE brought together artists from the Commonwealth nations of Canada, New Zealand and Australia, to examine the contemporary practice of traditional indigenous carving from each of these countries. Throughout the period of the Commonwealth Games each artist participated in demonstrations open to the public. Wayne Alfred from Canada, together with his son Marcus participated 18-25 March. The pole was carved alongside other carvers at Melbourne Museum. It was later donated to the Shire of Nillumbik. Contents: Threading the commonwealth: textile tradition, culture, trade and politics, Canopy of the commonwealth: community textile project, Spirit of the games: the opening ceremony revealed, Common goods: cultures meet through craft, New06 and +plus factors: contemporary Australian art Single currency: Australian and New Zealand art Flash: Australian athletes in focus, Game on! Sport and contemporary art, Best of the best: Commonwealth Photographic Awards.commonwealth games, art festivals, totem poles

"Who would have thought that a boy born in 1889 from the Victorian Mallee would become a successful artist on New York’s Staten Island? This finely illustrated, exhaustively researched and beautifully written biography on Leason features the artist’s entire career as a painter and cartoonist renowned for his depictions of Australian society in the 1920s and 1930s. Leason’s story is a poignant one tracing his beginnings as a cartoonist, to the bohemian Melbourne art scene in the early 20th century, to his involvement in the artists’ camps of Eltham, to his important series of portraits of Lake Tyers Indigenous Australians, and his eventual move to the US where he has been acknowledged as making an enormous contribution to the New York arts scene. This story, as yet untold, fills a gap in the history of art in Australia and offers a new perspective on Australian art in the first half of the 20th century." - Thames and Hudson website A NEW HOME IN ELTHAM Once they had settled back into Melbourne, Perry and Belle began to look for a place to make a permanent home. Having enjoyed the bush setting of Mosman, they decided to explore the rural fringes of Melbourne. Each weekend they packed a picnic and travelled to the towns in the nearby hills - such as Ferntree Gully, Sassafras, Lilydale and, of course, Cockatoo Creek. Eventually deciding these places might be a little too far from The Herald office, they searched closer to the city. The Heidelberg and Box Hill regions that had inspired his old teacher McCubbin, had become busy, urban areas but further east, towards Warrandyte and Templestowe, there were still large tracts of bush. Finally they settled on Eltham, an area Percy knew very well, having often painted there with Jock Frater. Perry's old friend Dick McCann and his wife Margery had also settled in Eltham. The township was fifteen miles from Melbourne and serviced by an electric train that went to the central Melbourne station of Flinders Street, near where The Herald offices were located. Eltham was a small village in 1925, separated from Melbourne by the Yarra River, and surrounded by orchards and large tracts of bush. Small farms dotted the landscape and the main businesses revolved around ironmongers, blacksmiths, and farming supplies. Of particular appeal to artists was Eltham Park, a large expanse of bushland bounded by the Yarra River on the south side and the Diamond Creek on the east. The park included a playing field that was busy on weekends with cricket or football matches, but for the rest of the week it was mostly empty and an ideal place to paint. The scenery there provided the inspiration for many paintings by Leason, Meldrum and other artists such as Colin Colahan and Peter (A.E.) Newburv. The Leasons found a rundown old farmhouse on four-and-a-half acres of land in New Street, now known as Lavender Park Road. The site was splendid, at the top of a gentle slope which gave panoramic views east to the Dandenong hills, south over the Templestowe orchards and north to Kinglake. The front lawn was taken over by onion grass (or wiregrass as Leason called it) and scattered about the property were many wattles and gum trees. Aloe cacti covered much to the front of the house, while old quince and lucerne hedges separated the house and out-buildings from a rundown apple orchard. Here they would build a new home. ·with financial assistance from The Herald, Leason bought the property and immediately commissioned an architectural firm to design a new house in the popular bungalow style of the time. The old farm house was demolished but Percy saved the siding boards, bricks and corrugated iron for the outbuildings of his new home. The new house was a two storey, triple brick with a large, gabled, terracotta tiled roof. It was situated at the very top of the slope. The paint and varnish were barely dry when the family moved in during the summer of 1925-26 and the fumes were overpowering in the heat. Despite the house being wired for electricity, power poles had not yet reached the area and initially the family had to rely on kerosene lamps and candles. When electricity did arrive, Leason reflected on the community's reception of electricity at the expense of the old growth gum tree corridors in his cartoon, Electricity comes to Wiregrass. The family had now grown to seven. Jack was nearly nine, Jean was seven, Marjory was four, Nancy was two and the baby Patricia was seven months old. Jack and Jean were enrolled in the local primary school down the hill. A retired farmer, Jock McMillan, came to live on the property and help out with the general maintenance. Jock built himself a shack and Belle provided him with meals. He was kept occupied building structures around the property·, such as the garage, the outside toilet, garden beds, trellis arbours and a number of ponds. The elderly, bearded Scotsman with his old hat and baggy pants also provided the inspiration for one of the characters Leason regularly included in his cartoons. Like Leason, Jock smoked a straight stemmed pipe. A neighbour was employed to help Belle with domestic chores, and so the family settled down to live comfortably in their new Eltham house. Two dogs, Maginary and Wodger, completed the large and vibrant household. “Percy Leason; an artist’s life” by Margot Tasca, Thames & Hudson Australia Pty Ltd, Port Melbourne 2016, pp 63-64 Hardback Bookpercy leason, margot tasca, biography, artist, landscape

A compilation of Woiwod's research material, with information on the history of the Wurundjeri people of the Yarra Valley, from the time of first European contact. Its prime focus is the Yarra River as it has been understood by its Wurundjeri people. Includes a compilation of those difficult to locate "brief snatches of the action" collated under headings with in each instance, the provenance as to source and / or author included. Themes include: agriculture, law, ceremony, language, reconciliation, retribution, lifestyle, art & craft, climate, personalities, disease, death and the river's flora and fauna. Sister publication to "Coranderrk database". 318 pages : illustrations, maps ; 30 cm + 1 CD-ROM (4 3/​4 in.) PDF or Microsoft Office Word 97-2003.ISBN 9780987157423wurundjeri, yarra river, indigenous history, wurundjeri woi wurrung, aboriginal australians

Dr Janice Newton has had a long term interest in Indigenous Studies and Aboriginality, and has published papers linking Aboriginality to the counterculture and to artists and musicians. She has published a paper commenting on Ballarat's response to the death in 1896 of King Billy, the so called 'last of his tribe'. Janice has recently taught courses on 'The Anthropology of Indigenous Art' and 'Indigenous History' at Federation University Australia.56 page soft covered booklet outlining the life of Ballarat's Mullawallah (also known as King Billy or Frank Wilson). Numerous photographs. The book 'Mullawallah: The Last King Billy of Ballarat' is an initiative of Victorian Interpretive Projects. It is available for purchase for $15.00 (additional for postage). Please email [email protected] for further details. Images include: Ercildoun, Lake Burrumbeet, Lal Lal Falls, William Buckley, Warrenheip, King Billy and his Camp in McCree's Paddock, King Billy and His Tribe, Carl Walter King Billy, Mary of Carngham, Rosa of Carngham, King Billy (Bullip Bullip), Queen Mary of Buninyong, Queen Marie of Ballarat, Queen Mary and King Billy and their original mia mia, Football at Ercildoune, Thomas Jerusalem, Samuel Wilson, Frank the last of the Ballarat Tribe, The Burial of King Billy, King Billy's Grave. mullawullah, frank wilson, king billy, aborigines, wathauwrung, wadawurrung, aboriginal, ercildoun, ercildoune, lake learmonth

booknon-fictionCollected cartoons by Melbourne cartoonist and writer Judy Horacek, who believes "humour is a fantastic way of changing the world." ( from biographical noes). The introduction was written by Dale Spender.political art, community art, indigenous rights, racism, discrimination

Booknon-fiction500 works of art by 500 Australian women from colonial times to 1955 with images and commentaries on each work prepared by by 200 curators, critics, family member or the artists herself. Includes images of many works which may never have been reproduced. A biographical section comprises concise entries on these artists.colonial art, craft, competitions, portraiture, furniture, sculpture, indigenous art, museology

BookStudy commissioned by Arts Queensland and the Australia Council in 1994 to address the lack of published information on women's involvement in the arts.regionalism, cultural industraies, equity, professional recognition, indigenous women, multiculturalism

non-fictionEssays on feminist art, art history, criticism and museum practices in 1990s Australia by writers, academics, artists.indigenous art, political art, gender, represenation, museology, photography, installation, graphic design, collaborative practices

non-fictionAn illustrated survey of public mural projects during the 1970's and 1980's in metropolitan and regional communities including feminist, Trade Union, and Indigenous projects.murals, trade unions, women's murals, indigenous, urban art, political art, community arts, community arts network, eve glen, carol ruff, sarah macnamarra, barbary o'brien, community arts board, geoff hogg, ann newmarch, merilyn fairskye, catriona moore

non-fictionVisual and written documentation on photography in Australia and its importance.racial, political, social, brenda l. croft, leah king-smith, tracey moffat, brook andrew, destiny deacon, rosemary laing, olive cotton, margaret michaelis, ruth maddison, carol jerrems, fiona hall, patricia piccinni, jacky redgate, anne zahalka, pat brassington, anne ferran

Winner of the 175th Anniversary of Edward Henty landing at Portland, Acquisitive Art Prize.Gouache on paper depiction of Edward Henty's arrival at Portland Bay. Cream coloured mat board. Light coloured wooden frame. Wire hanging cord. A colourful border depicting native animals as well as other items such as a steam train, shovel, cartwheels surrounds an image of the coastline. Each corner of the border shows a sailing ship. In the foreground are two Indigenous Australians seated on the floor surrounded by bushland. To the left stands a man in European clothing - green trousers and a striped top. He is ankle deep in the water. Behind him are two baskets which he holds with a chain. Behind that are two sheep. Top left is a parchment which says, Thistle the Pioneer, Nov 19th 1834.Front: Back - 'Jennifer McCarthy Edward Henty - Arrival 2009' - Brown texta Also framers sticker1834, the thistle, henty, colonial, portland bay

Eleven copies of the University of Ballarat Alumni newsletter called The Flag. .1) David James, Gwenda McManus, Kerrie Edwards, Steve Bracks, Cordell Kent, Australian Native Gold, Koori Education Unit, Pat Hope, Rozeena Begum, Lidcha Mul. .2) Gwenda McManus, Wilhelmus, David James, University Mace, Trefor Prest, Steve Moneghetti, Shaun Creighton, Peter Blackburn, David Waite, Sandy Blythe, Kim Ross, Michael Wilson, Betty Gill, Betty Fish, Tom Hill, Bill Pryor . .3) David James. Sandy Blythe, Geoffrey Blainey,Jamie Shaw, Kiran Mazumdar, Stuart Pursell, Tony Singh, Ballarat Teachers' College, Frank Nolan, Carolyn Blackman. .4) David James, Malini Chitaranjan, Chandker Varadhan, Lola Montez, Regina Molloy, Bert Labont'e, Jayne Reynolds, Amanda Sandwith, Roger Short, Stephen Kemmis, Barney Glover, Thomas O'Donnell, Sandy Blythe, Laurier Prosser, John Sharpham, Jack Barker, Xiaoli Jiang, Catherine Pearce, Nepal, Ballarat Teachers' College, John Culvenor, Richards Medal, Karl McCann. .5) Gwenda McManus, David James, Ron Wild, Merger, Wimmera Institute of TAFE, Katherine Birkin. .6) David Caro, Chancellor appointment, David James, Ellen Sellers, Ballarat Teachers' College Reunion, Briana Folkes, Lorri Coburn, Paul O'Donohue, Graeme Kelly, Tracy Plunkett, Julie Kellett, Unisports rehabilitation, Hong Kong graduation, China, koalas. .7) Hong Kong graduation, David Janes, Argentina, Richard Alder, threatened animals, reconciliation, Leoda Atkinson, mural, Jodie Lowe, indigenous Australians, Sue Turale, nursing, Hong Kong, Geoffrey Richards, Janice Edwards, Laura Chibnall, Franky Christiano, Nessa Jenkins, Kerrie Powell. .8) David James, Graduate Centre, Greenhill Enterprise Centre, Warren Young, Parks Victoria, Maxitrans, netball, John Magrath, maths, Catering for the Olympics, Eddie Turker, Maryanne Coutts, Sonia Colville, Daryl Wisely, Laura Wakeling. .9) Camp Street Redevelopment, Arts Academy, David James, Gwenda McManus, Doug Lloyd, Ian Gordon, University Appeal, Hong Kong, Sue Turale, Edward Wong, Hakodate University, Paris, nursing, Malaysia, Yuri Tanabe, Amanda Mead, Mary Modeen, Barry Judd. .10) Kerry Cox, Gwenda McManus, wildlife, MartinWestbrooke Brian McLennan Art Scholarship. Anne Saunders, Shenzhen, Hong Kong. .11) CFA, Kerry Cox, Wayne Robinson appointment, Terry Lloyd, Empire Rubber, Churchill Fellowship, Russell Rees, bus mural, Janice Croggon, John McDonald, Imogen Schwarz, Andrew Dark, Jacqueline Dark, building, Jeff Goodiesonmcmanus, kent, bracks, vermeend, university games, greenhill, netball, magrath, coutts, turker, colville, wisely, wakeling, moneghetti, alder, atkinson, lowe, tirale, richards, blackburn, pryor, blainey, shaw, pursell, singh, blackman, wild, ballarat school of mines, wimmera, wimmera institute of tafe, merger, birkin, caro, sellers, folkes, coburn, o'donogue, kelly, plunkett, kellett, unisports, hong kong, alumni, koala, muzumdar-shaw, arts academy, camp street precinct, camp street

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.