My connection with Cherbourg began when I read the inspiring memoir Is That You Ruthie? By Ruth Hegarty, a former dormitory girl.
Ruth’s story seamlessly balances the harsh reality of growing up in the Reserve with the quirky innocence of being a child. This juxtaposition set the tone of what I would later find when visiting the Ration Shed Museum, which I was honoured to be invited to visit by Nicola Tizzard, Museum Manager.
On arriving at the Ration Shed Museum I was greeted by a sign declaring “Notice: it is an offence to enter this reserve without authority. Every person entering this reserve is required to report to the superintendent, action will be taken against offenders – the Superintendent” which I must admit did its job by stopping me in my tracks. The Ration Shed Museum’s first example of embracing the historical setting in which their stories are bravely told.
The Ration Shed Museum took its name from the first building you encounter when starting your journey through the museum – the Ration Shed. As the name suggests, it was the original building used to distribute rations to the community in Cherbourg (then Barambah). I’m told it wasn’t originally in its current location, instead was moved by sisters Sandra Morgan and Lesley Williams back in 2004 when they began the project of establishing a historical precinct. Using the Ration Shed building inspired members within the community to use other relevant historical buildings such as the Superintendent’s Office, Boys Dormitory, and Domestic Science Building to tell their stories. You’ll find them there today, as a space of painful truth-telling, yet celebratory survival.
I was fortunate to be taken on a tour by Mindy Fisher, who gave not only an informed experience but most importantly a personal one. I was privileged to hear her connections with Cherbourg, including the story of her grandfather who was a ‘Boy from Barambah’ and fought in World War One. Mindy offered great insight into the artworks dotted around the precinct, the footprints outside the Superintendent’s Office for instance, a reminder of the painstaking hours some would have to wait to get a permit to leave the Reserve.
Also pictured above is the stunning carved table by the late Rocko Langton depicting the native animals which represent the original locations of some of the tribes which were forcibly removed to Cherbourg.
Mindy then took me through the rest of the exhibitions: Domo – life in the Dormitories, Cherbourg in the 1930s, Barambah – Cherbourg arts and crafts, Strong Women Shadow Boxes, Barambah Pottery 1970s and 80s, Many Threads – Women’s Stories, ending in Play the Ball – sport in Cherbourg. Throughout these exhibitions were heartbreaking stories encompassing the meaning of resilience. It was lovely having Mindy present to provide a safe space to reflect on some of the themes I was being confronted by.
As mentioned, I ended my tour in Play the Ball – sport in Cherbourg, which was such a positive space to finish, celebrating the place Cherbourg is today. And what better way to do it than displaying sporting excellence through signed NRL shirts, ginormous trophies, and fantastic stories of Olympic medals. I kept thinking how much my late father, Rod would have loved this exhibition being such a huge NRL fan, particularly of the underdogs.
Along with the exhibition spaces, the Ration Shed Museum also offers space for community. These include a space for Elders, a pottery studio (pieces are sold in the gallery shop – highly recommend!), Yarning Circles, and overall stunning grounds where groups are welcomed to learn about this important history.
Leaving Cherbourg, I was once again reminded what makes it such a special place today – “Many Tribes, One Community”.
He aha te mea nui? Māku e kii atu, he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.
Apr 16
This gallery contains 12 photos.
On a recent visit to Proserpine Museum, I was lucky enough to assist with the rehousing of some significant objects relating to the Second World War. The collection is made up of personal items belonging to William Rudd (Bunny or Bill) from his time spent at the Changi Prisoner of War (POW) camp, Singapore. William […]
At the end of last year, the Vera Scarth Johnson Association approached me for advice about collection preservation and updating their gallery. Following the Association’s successful application to the Copland Foundation, Cairns-based museum worker and photographer, Michael Marzik, and I are now in the process of undertaking a two staged project to reinvigorate collection management and preservation, and refresh the gallery interpretation.
Vera’s gift
Vera was a remarkable woman. Between 1972 and 1999, Cooktown resident Vera Scarth-Johnson OAM created over 150 botanical illustrations as part of her ‘Endeavour River Series.’ Inspired by the natural environment, the botanical works of Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander and an interest in their Guugu Yimithir language names and usage, her quest to record different species in the Endeavour River Valley ended only when Parkinson’s disease prevented her from continuing.
In 1990, Vera gifted the Endeavour River Series of illustrations to the people of Cooktown in 1990. She hoped it would enrich people’s appreciation of Whalaumbaal – the Endeavour River region and inspire them to preserve it. The works reveals her lifelong passion for native wildflowers, their cultural and scientific use and her commitment to conservation.
Managing Vera’s gift
Of course, a gift like this needed a suitable home. After the donation, the collection was stored in Cooktown in a small gallery on Furneaux Street and at the Sovereign Hotel until the Vera Scarth Johnson Foundation successfully lobbied for a new building. Since 2000, the collection has been housed at Nature’s Powerhouse, a gallery space and information centre in Cooktown’s Botanic Gardens.
Despite the many advantages of having a dedicated gallery facility, managing a collection of works on paper in a tropical climate, and with an idiosyncratic building, is challenging. Challenging, too, is the retention of an active volunteer workforce with the energy and interest to dedicate to the collection’s ongoing care. Yet for the past 24 years, a variety of dedicated volunteers from the Vera Scarth Johnson Association have been caring for the collection and curating changeover exhibitions.
Preserving Vera’s gift
I began working on the project to review the collection in February, develop a new collection policy and review collection management procedures. To prepare for the onsite assessment of the artworks we created an assessment template and procured a range of materials. Michael and I then headed up to Cooktown and spent a week working on the 154 artworks. We set up temporary workstations in the gallery for the different tasks required, including a makeshift studio so we could take high resolution images of each artwork.
Whilst there, we were privileged to work with some wonderful volunteers, full of knowledge of the region’s natural diversity and of passion for Vera’s work. As we trained them in collection management, dismantling artworks, condition assessments, cleaning and reframing, they taught us about the beauty of species in the paintings and told us stories about their time with Vera when she was still alive. For some of the volunteers, it was the first time they had seen the works outside of the frames and they were excited to see them in more detail.
Vera’s choice of canvas materials reveals much about her process and underscores her belief that she was a botanical illustrator first, artist second. Many of the paintings are on matboard offcuts, or coloured paper torn from a sketch pad. But her pragmatism ended there. Each illustration reveals the how keenly she observed the specimens. The works have a delicacy and tenderness, so much so that it almost feels as though she was painting a love letter to each of the species she was depicting.
I’m excited to start working on the next phase of the project to refresh the gallery space with the Vera Scarth-Johnson Association volunteers over the coming months. Stay tuned for updates about the next phase of the project.
I recently made a trek out to Maranoa to present a Collection Managment Workshop as a part of the Capture, Connect, Curate Workshop Series, hosted by Maranoa Regional Council in partnership with Southern Queensland Regional Arts Networking services (RASN), and Museums and Galleries Queensland (M&G QLD).
On my journey west, I stopped to visit Chinchilla Museum where I was astounded by the healthy number of volunteers that gather there on a Thursday (I counted 25!). I was fortunate to have arrived during lunch where I was invited to join them and their delicious sandwiches. Chinchilla is rich in local stories; however, it was their connection with prickly pear which spiked my interest.
In the early 1920s, Chinchilla housed the Cactoblastis cactorum (aptly named) moth inside their Chinchilla Prickly Pear Experimental Station. Here the moths underwent strict breeding and feeding assessments to ensure they would only attack their target – the prickly pear, and in 1926 the first moth was released. Today it is still regarded as one of the world’s most spectacular examples of biological weed control.
Before their release, prickly pear had overtaken 60 million acres (24.3 million hectares) of land in New South Wales and Queensland, making it unusable. By 1933 it was estimated that 80 per cent of the infested land in Queensland, and 50–60 per cent in New South Wales, had been cleared.
Along with this mural, Chinchilla Museum (pictured below) also provide a short film about the history of Prickly Pear in the region. Highly recommend you stop for a look if you’re in the area.
The next morning it was off to Roma to kick off the first day of the workshop series. Day one had us travelling to the Injune Memorial Hall to hear presentations from RASN and M&G QLD regarding grant writing.
Day two was hosted inside the Roma Cultural Centre where I began the day with my Collection Management Workshop.
The participants included members from the Roma Butter Factory, Cultural Heritage Injune Preservation Society, Surat Museum, Chinchilla Museum, Maranoa Council, and even one all the way from the Lockyer Valley Regional Council! All of the participants were engaging and offered fabulous examples and stories to really bring the topics to life – thank you to the wonderful participants!
Saturday afternoon was an engaging presentation by Mark Creyton on Volunteer Recruitment, followed by a networking event held at the Big Rig. Starting with a ride up the Big Rig itself, the networking event began with breathtaking views of the Maranoa Region.
Once dark, we then had the riveting opportunity to view The Big Rig Express Night Show, a 35-minute light show unravelling the history of oil and gas in Roma.
With the clever use of light to create silhouettes of the devoted Australian riggers on the display tents, pressurised water to convey the spilling of oil, and even fire to emphasis the drama of it all – it was a thrilling retelling to say the least.
Not to mention the spectacular infrastructure surrounding it.
Thank you to the Maranoa Regional Council, Southern Queensland Regional Arts Networking services, and Museums and Galleries Queensland for organising such a wonderful event.
Of course, a trip out west wouldn’t be complete without a stunning skyscape – until next time!
I had the pleasure of visiting the town of Thallon in January (after a tyre hiccup) and let me tell you, if you’re in the region of Balonne, you must include Thallon in your travels. From the iconic William the Wombat to the award-winning Silo Art, Thallon is rich in culture and history.
For those of you not familiar with the whereabouts of Thallon, the Francis Hotel (where you must stop for a meal!) has a handy cheat sheet. Please see image for reference.
Fortunately, I was there to meet with Thallon’s Progress Association member Leanne Brosnan, and she was able to give me a tour of Thallon’s attractions, ensuring nothing was missed. We began by viewing Thallon’s War Memorial and paying our respects to local men who had served under the protection of the carved soldier atop a sandstone plinth. We then walked over to visit William the Hairy-Nosed Wombat, a tribute to the local wombat community found at the old Bullamon Station in the late 1800s. Driving past the Thallon Library and cricket club we arrived at the viewing platform of the Silo Art. Artists Joel Fergie and Travis Vinson have been quoted saying:
“We want the community to look up to the silos as the sun sets each day and be reminded of why they love the land they live in”.
They are just awesome. It’s no wonder they won the 2019 Australian Street Art Awards Best of the Best and Best Rural Art.
Titled ‘The Watering Hole’ the mural portrays the Thallon district and its surrounding area. It features the Moonie River, an iconic Thallon sunset, and the area’s agricultural base. It also recognises members of Thallon’s indigenous community by the inclusion of a scarred tree. It was inspired by the photography of three locals in Thallon.
But wait, there’s more. Leanne then took me for a quick drive to visit the old railway bridge (relevant to our upcoming project) where we viewed more outstanding works by Fergie and Vinson – murals of locals in Thallon. Along the pillars of the railway bridge sit beautiful lifelike murals capturing the essence of the people depicted – I can say this for a fact as I later met one of them and was able to say I had been staring at his face earlier that day.
Next – onto Old Bullamon Homestead. An original homestead built along the banks of the Moonie River in the 1850s. Heritage listed; this homestead is a prime example of bush architecture to the region. A highlight for me was the double toilet – I imagine making the trek in the night was more pleasant with two. I must insist you visit if you’re in the region. It is not one to be missed!
There are also the sculptures scattered around Thallon by the artist Dion Cross, the local Francis Hotel which always has an exhibition on inside, the rustic water tower painted with the town name, the grain trains awaiting a nightly exit to avoid tracks being manipulated in the heat, and of course great yarns to be had by all.
I was visiting Thallon to scope out an old railway goods shed we hope to install an exhibition in, adding to this rich cultural experience. Fingers crossed we get the funding!
Until next time.
With the first low developing it is a good time to enact your cyclone preparedness plans.
Usually this should involve:
Your disaster bin should be located in an area that is readily accessible and should have a list, kept with the bin, stating what the contents are. It is important to replace things like batteries and review its contents on a regular basis.
THIS DISASTER BIN SHOULD CONTAIN:
Example of disaster supply bin – cable tie shut and cut when needed. This will mean that supplies aren’t used for general cleaning purposes
For more information about cyclone and disasters preparation, visit some of the Museum Development Officer previous blog posts or contact us.
FNQ’s museum community is always a hive of activity … and as the MDO for the region, I can assure you there’s never a dull moment. Over the last three months, I’ve been kept on my toes juggling a few different projects and visiting a number of communities. Here’s a brief snapshot to keep you in the loop:
BACK TO COOKTOWN
It was great to finally get back to Cooktown to catch up with old friends and meet some new faces. Apart from enjoying the region’s culture and history, I also appreciate the drive – up the Byerstown Range, through the Palmer River goldfields, past Black Mountain (Kalkajaka) and over the Annan River (Yuku-Baja-Muliku). First stop was Natures Powerhouse to meet the Vera Scarth Johnson Association committee. The new cast of friendly volunteers were keen to chat about display refreshment and collection challenges. I have to admit to being a little bit in love with Vera’s story so I am always interested to see what this group are up to.
I spent a morning at the Cooktown History Centre with Bev Shay and Marge Scully. They continue to manage a vast collection – but now in a fully airconditioned building! That’s gold… particularly during the summertime. I also got to do some hands-on work and to help Bev refresh displays in the John Hay room. Almost next door is the Waalmbal Birri Heritage and Culture Centre. It was my first time visiting their new building and I was lucky enough to chat with five members of the team, including founders Loretta Sullivan and Alberta Hornsby. Listening to them talk about developing the centre was inspiring – they have a great message to share.
The National Trust of Australia’s (QLD) Cooktown Museum was my final museum stop. The old convent building never fails to stop me in my tracks – it has such presence in the landscape. I met up with site manager, Bev Grant, and staff, chatted about the collection and had a look at the museum’s new interpretation. On the way home, I also stopped at Lakeland to look at the new sculpture park – some great pieces of art made from recycled materials – make sure you stop if you’re driving through!
OUT AND ABOUT: TABLEANDS AND YARRABAH
Driving across the range to Yarrabah Arts Centre is always a treat. This time I was joined by Aven Noah Jnr, curator at Northsite, who was keen to visit the centre with me. Simone Arnol (centre manager) and Bernie Singleton showed us the amazing work being done to upgrade their displays and also discussed their aspirations to enhance the collection management and build skills through training. Great, too, to see the gatehouse building showcasing artworks made on site by Yarrabah’s talented resident artists.
Mareeba Heritage Centre has a new manager, so I thought I’d stop in for a chat. I worked with Sandrine Gloton previously in Croydon – it’s great to have her back in the museum sector. I discovered a few new additions, including their audio tour. I also loved seeing the volunteers in action – juggling an army of school children through different stations at the museum – I’m not sure who was having more fun!
In mid-October 20 people gathered at Atherton’s Old Post Office Gallery for the Tablelands Heritage Network meeting. This is a great group, always keen to learn and share. I ran a significance training workshop first and volunteers then showcased some of the artifacts they had brought along. It was an engaging morning – and highlighted the enduring effectiveness of a good old show and tell session!
Proposed Chinese Culture and Heritage Centre, Cairns
Over the last few months, I’ve been working with exhibition designer and photographer, Michael Marzik, and the team at CADCAI on plans for the proposed Chinese Culture and Heritage Centre. As well as working with architects to determine the layout and fixtures, we’ve visited the Hou Wang Temple in Atherton and the Chinese temple in Innisfail. We are in the process of creating a curatorial concept brief and storage overview with a small volunteer working group. The symbolism and significance of the Lit Sung Goong Collection is mesmerizing, and it’s a such a pleasure to work with and learn from this passionate group of volunteers.
“STRAIT” INSTALLATIONS – ART AWARDS & MURUYGAW NGULAYG / AU LE IRA PADAR EXHIBITION
In July, Ewen McPhee and I travelled up to Thursday Island to run exhibition training workshops with the staff at Gab Titui Cultural Centre and help prepare for the 2023 Gab Titui Art Awards. We used this as a chance to develop an exhibition brief for a new display in the Ephrain Bani gallery (the cultural maintenance gallery). Lead curator, Leitha Assan, went on to develop the exhibition, Muruygaw Ngulayg / Au Le Ira Pardar (Wisdom of Our Elders) and, with her team, coordinate the Art Awards.
Ewen and I returned in October/November to help with the installation of both the exhibition and the awards. We were joined by freelancers Michael Marzik and Aven Noah Jnr. As always, hands on training during the installation made the process fun and engaging. It’s a joy to work with the team at Gab and learn about the culture being maintained and produced by contemporary artists. To cap it off, we got to attend the awards night and see the spectacular dancer team from Erub Island.
Last week I shared some highlights from my journey out west, showcasing some hotspots from Winton. This time, we’re on Iningai Country, in Longreach.
Stockman’s Hall of Fame
I love an audio tour – so experiencing the redeveloped spaces at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame was a must for my trip to Longreach. Walking through the space with the audio guide, you get the chance to explore what it must have been like to traverse the outback as a stockman or stockwoman (or even the local postman!) or be one of the Traditional Owners who were facing the onslaught of people travelling on their Country. Through collaboration with Dr Tauri Simone, Koa woman, academic and stockworker, and Iningai Traditional Owner Suzanne Thompson, the Hall of Fame redevelopment saw the theme of connection to country become more intertwined in the displays, as well as the stories of Aboriginal women who became head stockwomen and could outwork the men becoming a more prominent part of the exhibition. The museum also featured stories about how communities spent their downtime in the outback, at pubs and films and dances; explored the poetry and artistry that has come out of the outback over the years and delved into the history of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Qantas Founders Museum
I never thought i’d get to sit in the pilots seat of a decommissioned Qantas Jet, but here we are.
Sarah Johnson, the fantastic Senior Curator at Qantas Founders Museum took me on an incredible walk around of the facility, and became my personal photographer for the day. One of the key attractions she showed me was a repurposed passenger plane that was transitioned into a private jet, fit out with a double bed and a cocktail lounge.
I left the museum with one unanswered question: who do I talk to about the return of the bright yellow, tropical Qantas flight attendant uniform?
Longreach Powerhouse & Historical Museum
A special mention goes to the Longreach Powerhouse & Historical Museum, where you can listen to ‘Singing in the Rain’ on an incredible old record player; walk through the old Powerhouse to witness the machinery still on show (and if you’re lucky see the local Kookaburra family living in the roof); and explore the historic Nogo Cottage, part of the original homestead of Nogo Station built in 1918 which depicts family living conditions in Western Queensland between the 1930s and 1950s. I tried to find out the exact peach colour used to paint the exterior walls of the Cottage, but alas, no luck… A shout out to Tanya and Kath who showed me a whole range of quirky objects in the galleries, one being the ceremonial spade used by Queen Elizabeth in 1970 to plant a tree at the Longreach Civic Theatre.
Without delving into any more detail about the incredible people I got to talk to every day and the pros and cons of daily pub feeds, some snapshots of the trip include:
– Covering a distance of around 1500km
– Coming face to face with more than my fair share of brolga’s
– Seeing 20+ dinosaurs
– Tasting the iconic ‘Winton’ and ‘Longreach’ lagers
– Hearing an atrocious amount of snoring through motel walls
– Putting together a good collection of failed attempts at self-timed photos (#solotravel)
– Marveling at spectacular sunsets
– And meeting some of the most vibrant players in the cultural industry, based all the way out west.
An enormous thanks goes to the communities, volunteers, and museum teams who welcomed me into their spaces and showed me what they are passionate about. One of the best parts of being an MDO is getting to connect with the communities who make what we do possible.
And if you’ve made it this far, here’s an insight into what really fills up my camera roll: those divine western skies!
Until next time!
As Museum Development Officers, every so often we get to jump on the road and head out to connect with some of our community partners. It means we can get a feel for the spaces where communities are living, working, and thriving and get to know the people who are making things happen in the regions. As the newest MDO in the team, I was lucky enough to head out through the beautiful western outback and spend a week exploring Winton and Longreach and all the quirky places in between.
Follow me on a highlights reel through the west – first stop, Winton.
The drive from Townsville to Winton is underrated – you pass through more well-known places such as Charters Towers and Hughenden, but also the sweet little spots along the way such as Prairie, where you can hopefully snag some vegies from their roadside stand.
Keep driving into the horizon and you eventually arrive in Winton: the birthplace of the iconic Waltzing Matilda song. Winton is the gateway to Australia’s Dinosaur Trail, and when they say it’s famous for its friendliness and big smiles, I’ll agree ten times over. Being welcomed into a community like Winton is a really uplifting feeling: everyone you meet out there wants you to know you’re welcome and wants to show you exactly how special the area is.
The Heritage Truck and Machinery Museum
For any trucks or machinery buffs, this museum is a must do. Picture multiple large sheds housing all number of trucks and vehicles, each one with their own unique story. My favourite was the truck driven by Thora Daphne “Toots” Holzheimer: Australia’s first female truckie. For three decades, Toots clocked up more than 1.6 million kilometres hauling freight across remote Queensland, traversing the dusty dirt roads across Cape York and along the inland roads out to Mount Isa. Old Girl, her trusty steed, is housed at the museum in Winton where visitors can also purchase her biography, Toot’s: Woman in a man’s world, written by one of Toots’ daughters Donna Vawdrey to preserve her mother’s legacy. Toots’ is remembered by many as a ‘hero of the Cape’.
The Royal Open-Air Theatre
Set in the heart of Winton’s main street, the Royal Open-Air Theatre is a unique cinematic experience. When you enter the building, you get an immediate glimpse of the incredible open-air theatre space out the back. Winton has some of the clearest night skies and sitting underneath the starry skies on a canvas seat in front of a theatre screen is unforgettable. Built in 1918, Winton’s theatre is one of two open-air theatres still operating in Australia. I met with Geraldine Coughlan while I was there, the daughter of Vince Evert, who bought the theatre in 1964 after the death of his father and is known as the ‘Father of Tourism’ in Western Queensland. Geraldine and the team of volunteers and family members managing the theatre are so passionate about the preservation and interpretation of the space – and it shows. If you make it to Winton on a Tuesday or Wednesday you can even experience the Nostalgia Nights held at the theatre and relive the experience of going to the movies during the 1960s. Just remember to pack your woollies!
Waltzing Matilda Centre
Walking through the Waltzing Matilda Centre, you can just feel the enormous efforts of the volunteers at the Winton and District Historical Society and all they went through to make the centre what it is today. Following the devastating fire of 2015, where significant items and parts of the original centre were damaged beyond repair, the new Centre showcases a range of incredible stories, objects and interpretive displays in both the new areas of the museum and the buildings which survived the fire years before. You can read more about the work that Queensland Museum MDO’s did in collaboration with the Historical Society and Winton Shire Council following the fire event on our blog.
Members of the Society are still working hard on interpreting more and more of their collections in the different display spaces and are keenly looking into some possibilities for digital preservation of research, images, and historical data for use into the future. Bruce and Helen from the society took me on a wonderful tour, which could have gone for 3 more hours than it did, given the breadth of stories and objects both on display and in storage.
Of course, you can’t go to Winton without also stopping off to play some tunes at the Musical Fence (where the bass line for Gotye’s Eyes Wide Open track was recorded) or visiting Australian Age of Dinosaurs.
Onwards to Longreach…stay tuned.
I’ve had the good fortune to have worked with the museum team at the Cobb and Co Changing Station Museum in Surat in 2022 and 2023, as they work towards commemorating the 100th anniversary of the last Cobb and Co coach run in Australia, in 2024!
The Changing Station in Surat plays a wonderful role in its small community – as a combined library, Queensland Government service office, tourism information centre, gallery AND museum, the space really does have something for everyone, visitor or local. The museum itself has a combination of passionate volunteers and dedicated council staff working through changing exhibitions and programmes, and to support this work I came on board in 2022 to deepen the teams’ skill in interpretation planning and display development.
One of the museum’s static displays is all about the important place Cobb and Co coaches had in Surat, and how the routes connected people and properties to the wider world. This space was due a refresh, especially given the upcoming 100 year anniversary of the last run of a Cobb and Co coach anywhere in Australia, between Surat and Yuleba on 14 August 1924. The Museum Working Group of volunteers and council staff all came together throughout 2022 for a series of workshops, to discuss the key stories about the legacy of coaches in the Maranoa region, how best to tell the stories of the daring and difficult journeys locals faced throughout their travels, and understanding what diverse audiences want out of a visit to the exhibition. The combined knowledge and passion of the working group and wider staff made for some really fun conversations, and led to some wonderfully creative interpretive text being written!
The team decided the best approach to begin with was to revamp the written panels within the Changing Ways display, which had been in place for quite some time and were beginning to show their age. Working with the museum’s wonderful photography collection as well as primary research sources, the team brought local stories to life through their engaging writing, and made information more accessible to the wide range of audiences who make their way to Surat. Themes included the role of local families in keeping coach passengers and crew fed and cared for on the long journeys, the incredible skills of the drivers and grooms who worked for Cobb and Co including renowned locals the Gallaghers, and the care and attention lavished on the hard-working horses.
I particularly enjoyed finding out more about what travelling by coach around Surat would have been like for passengers – the soft black soil present around the region meant that wooden logs were used to make roads passable, but at the expense of any comfort whatsoever! One passenger described a journey by coach as like riding “a baby camel in a hell of a hurry” – not the most comforting of images!
We worked with a designer based in Toowoomba, James Bell, who created a series of beautiful, large-scale interpretation panels, taking colour inspiration from the Surat landscape and the mural currently in the exhibition, painted by a local artist. Once the team were happy with the panels, these were printed by Serengeti Print Group in Toowoomba onto aluminium composite boards. This material was chosen because it better withstands the harsh environmental conditions of western Queensland – even inside a building the sun finds its way in.
Once the panels were printed, I enlisted the expert assistance of another Cobb and Co legend – Andrew Macdonald, Factory Manager for Cobb and Co Museum in Toowoomba (where I am based when I’m not on the road). Andy’s skills in display and install of exhibitions are unsurpassed, so I was very grateful to have his expert assistance in delivering the brand new panels to Surat and getting them installed. Plus we got a bit of a sense of that aforementioned baby camel experience – driving a delivery van with limited suspension on a blacksoil road certainly made me appreciate how much worse early residents had it in terms of travel!
The exhibition space now has a new lease on life, and the Surat team are looking towards even more development as the 100th year anniversary draws closer and I can’t wait to see what wonderful ideas they’ll come up with. If you’re heading through Surat, make sure you stop in and take a look – I’d love to know what you think!
Queensland Museum & community collections 