These intriguing group of brooches, made by unknown jewellers, that were produced in the Australian goldfields, circa 1880–1915 are a peculiarly Australian innovation. These elegant pieces, which are made from gold, gold nuggets, quartz and garnet, employ mining motifs such as picks, shovels, buckets and prospector’s pan. Following significant discoveries of gold in Australia in…
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In 1988, the year of Australia’s bicentenary, the Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) was officially gazetted as Australia’s national floral emblem, enjoying a popular acceptance as the national flower long before then. We’ve been celebrating the Wattle for different reasons over the last century, and this year for the first time on Monday 31 August, Brisbane…
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Daniel Boyd, born in Cairns, Queensland, is an artist of both Aboriginal and South Sea Islander heritage, whose works often deal with the complexity of the history of South Sea Islander labour in Queensland and its legacy. This is one of our state’s most important historical narratives, with some 62 000 labourers brought to Queensland…
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The work by Vida Lahey (1882-1968), one of Queensland’s best loved artists is widely admired for her watercolour floral studies, however in Morning light, Brisbane River c.1925-30 Lahey has beautifully captured the effects of light on water, and also provides us with a little mystery which you may be able to solve for us, let…
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Queensland Day is a celebration of Queensland’s birthday and its official separation from New South Wales as an independent colony on 6 June 1859. The state is named in honour of Queen Victoria who signed documents granting the right to its own representative government and when Brisbane was appointed as the capital city. We take this opportunity to…
Now that we’re allowed to venture out somewhat, we thought this was a perfect time to reacquaint ourselves with our Collection favourites that have a local flavour. Continuing with our know ‘Brisbane through the Collection’ series we focus on Evening (Mt Coot-tha from Dutton Park) 1898, an accomplished work of a painter aware of the…
Continue reading » “An impression: Evening (Mt Coot-tha from Dutton Park)”