Photograph - Digital Photograph, Jim Connor, Eltham Cemetery Trust's launch at Montsalvat of Our Eltham - Artistic Recollections, 21 September 2017

Historical information

Our Eltham - Artistic Recollections by Jim Connor, EDHS newsletter No. 236 October 2017
The Eltham Cemetery Trust, established in 1858, selected the existing burial site at Mount Pleasant Road on high ground overlooking the village of Eltham. The first recorded burial took place in 1861 in the Church of England section. Headstones depict the names of many early and well known local families.

In recent years the Trust has encouraged the use of creative artistic elements within the natural bushland environment in their landscaped grounds adjoining Montsalvat. Their ongoing vision has been to offer the local communty a fresh and unique relationship to the Cemetery.

On Thursday 21st September 2017 their latest commissioned art project titled ‘Our Eltham - Artistic Recollections’ was unveiled. It is a collection of panels collaboratively created by artist Nerina Lascelles and ceramicist Linda Detoma. The project was designed and constructed by Leigh Wykes using Australian stone with ironwork by Neil Carter. All contributors to this installation, located adjacent to the car park near Metery Road, are residents of the Eltham area.

Our Eltham - Artistic Recollections is described as a celebration of life in the Shire since the opening of the Eltham Cemetery more than 150 years ago. Depicting scenes of life in and around Eltham, the collection offers deeper connections to the Eltham area through a series of visual narratives of Eltham’s past, environment and community.

The project involves the artistic interpretation by Nerina Lascelles of historic and current images symbolically intermixed with locally indigenous flowers and plants. These are displayed on thirty-one ceramic panels by Linda Detoma, mounted within an iron fence by Neil Carter, upon an attractive rock wall constructed by Leigh Wykes.

The Eltham District Historical Society is pleased to have contributed to this project. Russell Yeoman and Jim Connor from our Society have collaborated with Liz Pidgeon, Local and Family History Librarian at Yarra Plenty Regional Library on a selection of photographs, many from the Shire of Eltham Pioneers Collection we hold in partnership, located at Eltham Library. We also provided information on the images chosen.

The Eltham Cemetery Trust has produced a booklet about this artwork, which can be viewed on the Cemetery website at: http://www.elthamcemetery.com/oureltham/#1

Our Eltham - Artistic Recollections is a significant monumental installation, which will encourage visitors to come to view this outstanding combination of local creative skills, set within the attractive grounds of the Eltham Cemetery.

Physical description

2 images - born digital

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