The Spoken Word in Bush Poetry

[Shelley Hansen]

Well, I've sold about 50 books so far, Gary - so I'd say the chances of seeing one in the 10 cent bin are quite high! Mind you, if I do, I could always buy it and then re-sell it for full price!!! Only trouble is, most of my sold copies have a personal dedication on the flyleaf ... so someone named Brutus might receive a copy inscribed "To Flossie, with lots of love".

Re your Art post - Hans Heysen is my favourite Aussie artist. He was the first to understand the difference between European and Australian landscapes. After studying in Europe, he returned by ship to Adelaide and was immediately struck by what he saw. He knew he had to find a way to capture the unique Australian light. I wrote a poem about him some years ago - I called it "Master of Light". One of the highlights of a trip to SA some years ago was visiting his house at Hahndorf and seeing many of his original works.

Cheers
Shelley

[Gary Harding]

Art. The Australian Experience PART 2

Good on you, Shelley.

Australian Art is a huge subject. We have the onerous task of selecting a few representative artists to introduce to our visitors. Space is limited.
As education is part of our function we want people to leave this section having a knowledge of Art sufficient to get them by at any cocktail party.

Some time ago we completed a lovely exhibit relating to the artists who illustrated for the old bush poets.

Art, especially at the fringes, can be in the eye of the beholder. But as you suggest, with artists like Hans Heysen (or Norman Lindsay), there is no argument about their capability. We have a small but interesting Australian Bookplate collection, this being a branch of Art with its own active Society. It will likely have a very small spot somewhere.

Totally unlike government establishments, what we show is based only on obvious artistic merit.. and not the race, gender or sexual proclivity of the artist. As purists, we are there to responsibly educate and entertain, not to push political agendas or pander to voting minorities. So-called Modern Art excludes itself as it is not particularly Australian.. and nor is it generally popular.

...................

This old postcard (see below) took our fancy... and so we bought it.

It is entitled "On The Road". ' Swallow And Ariell's ' collection. Cost $20.

With a section on bullockies, including the collection of six excellent display boards featuring bush ballads relating to bullockies, this seemed like a good fit... plus we just "liked it".

Further examination indicated that the artist was J H (Jan Hendrik) Scheltema 1861 - 1941, a Dutch immigrant. Much info on him is available on the internet.
Looking online at some of his art, we were extremely impressed. Two of his paintings are shown below in order to give one a feel. Click on them to view.

His original paintings of Australia are expensive but not off the planet on price. He is on the "Maybe one day.." buy (investment) list... and a nice "discovery".

This is simply an example of how one thing leads to another for us.

Lots of unopened doors yet to be tackled in Australian Culture.

You start with a humble postcard and it leads you into a world of beautiful Australia-themed paintings in the style that everybody seems to love.

Gary

[Catherine Lee]

Yes indeed, Gary - it must be so exciting when different doors open up to discovery. This feed is always fascinating to view!

[Gary Harding]

Thank you for your constant faith Catherine and I am happy that you enjoy following this ongoing story done in posts..

........................

The late Leonard Teale is well known among Bush Poetry enthusiasts.

Over the decades I have picked up a bit here and there on Len and I find now, rather happily, that there really is enough to present him in a display of his own.

What is a familiar face to many of us is a total stranger to the younger generation.. and even more strange to those generations yet to come I expect. He was a Wellington pilot in WW2, and I regard him as a very brave man.

With a display, one only has a few seconds to grab the visitor's attention, so it has yet to be determined how exactly to present Len, but preferably with a recitation... and maybe even a grab from TV's Homicide.

Here from my Collection is a 1983 album of Len's which as far as I can tell is quite scarce. It is the only one I have ever seen... even although there must be others around.

Voices In The Sun....A Tribute To The Poets Of Queensland.

It has 29 tracks but I am afraid the only poet's name that I know is the late John Manifold because of John's prominent association with folk music.

As an aside :

Here is my friend Paul Bailey who was a guitar player with us in The Shearer's Tally Bush Band for a while, kindly relating to me (for the Australian Cultural Centre) his association with John Manifold :

"This brings back memories. As a young boy I was taught by John Stewart Manifold To make 'tin' whistles And recorders out of bamboo. I think it was a Friday - once a week we would gather at his house near Nazareth House in Wynnum North, and John (Mr. Manifold) would teach us to play. The manhole into the ceiling of his house was in his music room, and next to the manhole in the roof he had dusted the imprint of four child-sized footprints. Every one of us enjoyed playing music with Mr Manifold. It was almost always riotously funny while deeply immersing us all in learning the art of music at an early age. Whenever things got a bit loud and out of hand, John would point to the dirty footprints on the roof and say, "If you kids don't quieten down I'm going to lock you in the roof with that poor child." We would join his laughter and quieten down. I don't think any one of us thought to ask how he got the dusty footprints to defy gravity and stick to the ceiling. I first saw John when I was about 10 sitting halfway down the aisle of a small local bus. He appeared as a bright and rollicking strange man sitting in the centre of the long backseat, cello between his knees, playing and singing to anybody and everybody on the bus. I witnessed this captivating cameo several times before I was introduced to him, and each bus trip divided into a third of the people clapping, another third sitting quietly, and the remainder in sporadic complaint - to no avail - about "all that noise." I was already a distracted student of the piano, but it was those bus rides that made me fall in love with music and public performance. Thank you, John Manifold."

[Gary Harding]

When Karen Christensen saw the 1944 sheet music pictured below she said "We simply must have that! Unlike most of the Wartime sheet music we have which focuses on the men of the fighting armed forces, this pays special and sentimental attention to women in wartime".

As it says on the front :

"Dedication
To Womanhood
To the Wives, the Mothers, the Sisters and Sweethearts - to the countless thousands of steadfast, faithful women in whose memory The Night You Went Away will truly live forever, I humbly dedicate this song. - The Composer "

With her 88 year old mother there, we had an interesting conversation about Karen's family members who served in both major wars. One was an Anzac who was on a first-day landing boat at Gallipoli but who sadly never made it to shore. (My grandfather was in the initial landing too but survived) She talked about the male relatives who came back (most) and those that didn't .. and one who was a tungsten miner. Tungsten was a vital alloying element in hardening steel and so he was not allowed to enlist.

She mentioned the Women's Land Army, the women in factories and those serving as nurses too... and the women who somehow managed to keep it all together back home.

In our extensive War Memorial section (at The Australian Cultural Centre Project) which one day we hope will occupy its own separate building on site, we try and present the True and Balanced Story of all conflicts and this particular Sheet Music from 1944 says a lot I think. It is worth reproducing it here.

[Shelley Hansen]

Love the artwork in your postcard article Gary.

[Gary Harding]

Thanks Shelley,
There certainly are many facets to Art.... however our particular niche at The Australian Cultural Centre is recognisably Australian art. Work that instantly has an Australian connection.

There may be very talented illustrators, commercial artists, graphic artists but unless their work is at least partly Australian themed or linked, at present we will not be including them. The same for modern Art. Just not our thing. As our space is very limited and we are not a Gallery, that works well.

On the other hand, there will be mention of Ginger Meggs (see below) and Ben Bowyang illustrations in the Art section because they are just so Australian!

Here for the enjoyment of readers of this post series are two more works by Jan Scheltema.

He was quite prolific. His paintings just come to life and capture the feel of the Bush I think. They really bowl you over. The world of Lawson and Paterson.
Wouldn't it be something to have one of his original works on your wall at home?

[Gary Harding]

We have just finished producing this framed Jan Scheltema ("Bullock Team in the Forest of Canungra"), drawing from our stock of materials (frame, fabric etc) and utilising special textured-finish paper.

The frame's natural colouring picks up nicely on the painting's hues I think. (click on picture to view)

We tried some experimental techniques that do not quite show up in this photo. (below) For example, a thick, clear sealer was liberally applied with a small paint-roller in order to further bring the colours out and make it seem closer to the original artwork, and lose the "off the printer" look. Very effective.

The result is extremely pleasing and it has certainly been a worthwhile undertaking.

It will likely find its home in the Bullockies section at The Australian Cultural Centre, should the project succeed in being established for the benefit of all Australians.. present and future.

A brass plaque will shortly be added to the bottom of the frame with Artist and Title.

[Shelley Hansen]

Exquisite!

[Gary Harding]

Shelly, you would like two major, portrait presentations being completed.

.........................

Australian Dance

Dance is a very important part of The Arts and Australia's Culture.

We uniquely undertake to present Australian Dance to Visitors at the (proposed) Australian Cultural Centre in a way that makes it interesting and fun... which it is! So then people including the younger generation can at least say they have seen it.

Here is our rare 1979 booklet that describes all the steps of Colonial or Bush Dancing.

It is great that the Muddy Creek Bush Band (from central Victoria) made the effort to record them.
I can recall all but three of these. We performed and called them at woolsheds, balls, bush dances, weddings, town halls, festivals.

https://youtu.be/9dT-WlG92FA

Bush dances are sets of basic steps that once learned are then repeated. The Instructor/Caller can step back and return to playing (pretty much) and let the dancers do their thing.

It is another of the many aspects we are trying to preserve and physically present that relate to Australia's true National Identity... before it is all destroyed.

By establishing a major Australian Cultural Centre, we will allow visitors to feel proud of their country and THEIR heritage. No wonder we are hated and ignored by useless governments! Will we succeed? All I can say is that there is a massive amount riding on it and there are no second chances. No rewinds. If you lose your country then you have lost everything... forever. That just cannot be allowed to happen surely?

Plenty of trite lip-service is paid to those who gave their lives for Australia. Endless poems.. speeches... words.. but who is prepared to actually defend their country today... its integrity and values... just as the Anzacs did, by doing something real and practical? Rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck into it? Not websites either!

We are the only ones doing this vital job today and tenaciously fighting this very real battle. Two people. Unaided. So let's hope for the sake of all generations.. past, present and future ... that through our efforts we succeed.