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The White Hat Melbourne Newsletter
Archived
Newsletter No.56 - 24 July 2003
Contents
This weekend is open day at the Melbourne Museum, Immigration Museum, National Gallery, ACMI, Arts Centre and State Library. Melbourne always turns out in force when you mention the magic word – free. If you go along, don’t spoil their day by mentioning that the gallery, ACMI and library always have free entry and that the museums have free entry for kids. Melbourne loves a bargain – even if it’s free entry to a free venue.
If quilts excite you then this is the weekend for you. There is a special showcase of quilts at the Needlework Craft & Art show at Jeff’s Shed. Details at Craft Fairs in Melbourne..
Midwinter in Melbourne, so the best way to warm up is to visit the outback. All it will cost you is a tram fare to the city (if you are one of those Melbournians who pays for a tram trip). The best starting point is the split screen presentation at ACMI called Ngarinyan Pathways Dulwain. In this remarkable multimedia record, Aboriginal elders from the Kimberley explain the traditions of their art, culture and law. The film is in various sections and runs continuously – expect to return a number of times to absorb it in manageable chunks. After that, it is worth wandering around the square paved in colourful Kimberley stone contemplating its connection to the diagonally opposite side of the continent. Then you can move on to the indigenous gallery of the Ian Potter Centre. Here you will find Aboriginal art covering a wide area and time span, but nearly all of it connected with the land. Note particularly the work of local Aboriginal elder, William Barak, the centenary of whose death is fast approaching. You could then move on to the Albert Namatjira exhibition and examine the interaction between western and Aboriginal art. Your next visit could be the Sidney Nolan exhibition. This is the only one you need to pay for, but the $12 is well spent. This exhibition shows how Nolan gradually absorbed the outback landscapes into his painting style and had a major influence on the direction of Australian art. Back into the free area of the gallery and visit the Fred Williams Pilbara paintings. Here we have an artist from leafy Malvern producing a stunning series of reactions to the almost treeless outback. For me, this is the highlight of the Australian gallery. This is far too much to do in one visit. Keep returning and seeing new things. I particularly enjoy watching the Aboriginal guides in the Ngarinyan presentation emphasising their point by slapping their hands on the rock paintings and contrasting that with the sometimes highly effete approach of the volunteer guides in the European-Australian galleries.
A celebration of all things Armenian held at the Immigration Museum. Details at Ethnic Festivals in Melbourne.
Fossil sites in the city and inner suburbs
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This weekend is the Glenlyon Food & Wine Festival. Details at Food & Wine in Victoria.
When Aborigines arrived in the Melbourne area there were numbers of strange animals wandering the land. By the time white men arrived numbers of them had become extinct. Had they survived, white men may have arrived to quite a different scene.
| Please note: This section of the newsletter has been
removed as it forms part of a forthcoming publication or because it
is forms part of our
Questing activities. If you find yourself on a tour where the
guide is White Hat Accredited they are likely to know the answer to
many questions you may have in this area. All guides on
White Hat Tours are White Hat
Accredited. |
The new exhibition of Works on Paper has opened at the Mornington Gallery. Details at Regional Gallery.
Friday is Save The Koala Day. Koalas aren’t officially endangered, but don’t tell the Americans that – they keep sending money. Head lice on the other hand are subjected to all sorts of chemical attack and cruel deaths at the hands of humans. I wonder if there is a Save the Head Lice Foundation.
Performances of in various venues featuring both sorts of music – world and folk. Details at World Music in Melbourne.
"Greetings,
Thanks for the many fascinating newsletters. Back in the mid seventies, one of Melbourne's hidden treasures was the little known Norman Lindsay Gallery hidden deep within Melbourne University. It contained an overwhelming collection of Lindsay's work, and was open to the public for only very brief times, something like two hours a month or some such. Apparently, the collection was endowed upon the university with the condition of a commitment to public display, which was honoured in a minimal way. It seemed to be something of a secret, not being advertised publicly and was under visited. Do you know of this, and if so, can you inform of any details?
David"
David, no I don't know of this but I am already on the case. Norman Lindsay is one of Victoria's great ratbags and would be delighted to know his collection was causing embarrassment to politically correct curators. Much of his work is in gloriously bad taste and particularly annoys many "conceptual artists" who wish to make "much more important statements" but can't come close to matching his technique. I will let you know what I find.
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