A Pictorial History of Australia
At least 18 Individual artists have been identified from coastal New South Wales and Victoria. New South Wales artists include J Simon (Taree); Albert Woodlands (Kempsey); Harry Cooley, A Perrett, Ned Simms, Wesley Simms, Bert Timbery, Bob Timbery, Joe Timbery (all La Perouse). In Victoria, Lake Tyers artists include Lindsay Cobourne, Tommy Foster, Harold Hayes, William Johnson, Lawrey Moffit and Jim Mullet Senior. In the Flinders Ranges, Ted Coulthard, Davey Ryan and Henry Wilton were most active.
By placing objects in historical perspective and context, we get a better understanding of the artistic achievements of little-known individuals whose works might otherwise have remained unrecognised.
From the early 1800s, Aboriginal people created artworks that document the history of their interaction with European settlers. The oldest such item in the Australian Museum collection was acquired near Wagga Wagga in 1865.
Aboriginal people made boomerangs, shields, spear throwers, clubs, walking sticks, stock whip handles and other objects which they decorated with engraving, painting and pokerwork. The design s show Aboriginal links to their land and traditional cultural practices. They also show contact situations and chart changing circumstances brought about by European settlement.
In south-east Australia, wooden objects with such imagery quickly became sought-after trade items. This led to the establishment of a tourist industry, which itself records important aspects of Australia's history.
In 1998, Dr Paul Taçon began a project to document this art movement by contacting other museums, Aboriginal elders and communities and over 120 members of the public throughout Australia. He has defined ten style areas in the region from the east coast of New South Wales through to South Australia, and identified 18 artists by name.
Boomerang - Wood, E92408
La Perouse, New South Wales, Australia, 1938
Boomerang - Wood, E92393
Lake Tyers, Victoria, Australia, 1937
Shield - Wood, E92397
Artist: Wesley Simms (1909-1965)
La Perouse, New South Wales, Australia, 1920s
Shield - Wood, E92354
La Perouse, New South Wales, Australia, 1950s
Copyright © Australian Museum 2004