Patricia Gill, Denmark Bulletin
Denmark Arts’ latest life member Avril Steyl belonged to an influx of Hippies in the 1970s who created Denmark as a centre for the arts. She was presented with the award at a community arts event at Denmark Artshouse on June 27 in acknowledgement for her work in the arts and music.
Avril commends today’s Denmark Arts for the events which she describes as inclusive and drawing a younger demographic.
The presentation was held alongside the opening of a life drawing exhibition in the Andre Steyl Gallery, named after her former husband, and a ceremonial burning of a pyre artwork.
Avril’s involvement with the fledgling Denmark Arts began in 1979 operating the projector for the screening of movies and the first Denmark markets in Berridge Park.
Arriving in Denmark in late 1978 from South Africa with Andre, son Günter, 6, and daughter Anna, 3, the family moved to Kent River. Another son, Griffin, was born in 1979 in Denmark.
Melbourne-born Avril had spent nine years ‘on and off’ working as a physiotherapist in Capetown where she met Andre. This was during the apartheid era at Conradie Hospital being rostered every eight hours to work mainly with patients from vehicle crashes and other injuries, for example from machetes. It was important to clear the chest to prevent infection.
“At that time there wasn’t a lot of medication, now it can get into the spine immediately and reduces the amount of inflammation,” Avril said. “It was just sheer hard work and determination.”
Later Avril worked at Groote Schuur Hospital in the days of pioneer heart transplant surgeon Christiaan Barnard. When the Steyl family arrived in WA, they moved into ‘temporary accommodation’ her father had built on to her sister, Sheryle’s, Kent River house.
“It was lovely with bunks for the two children and very comfy but it was all wiped out by a tornado,” Avril said. The family lost everything which as she says, ‘wasn’t much’, when the roof was torn off the dwelling.
Eventually, the family move into the town and Avril established a physiotherapy clinic.
She recalls the early days of Denmark Arts’ office in an Edinburgh House shop on Strickland Street with the location being important to promote the organisation and its activities.
“Being in the centre of the town, people popped in all the time and a lot of ideas were exchanged because of that,” Avril said.
“A lot of like-minded people had moved down here at the same time as us.”
She has noticed a similar trend with today’s Denmark Arts which has an event ‘nearly every day of the week’.
Over time Denmark Arts has undergone many changes, each stage bringing different aspects and events into the community.
“Each cycle doesn’t suit everybody,” Avril said.
She endorses today’s life drawing classes as important to women at home and the recent screening of Indigenous movies.
Avril praised the work of Ruth Maddren whose investment Indigenous affairs was also bringing those projects to Denmark.
“I like the changes Denmark Arts goes through with each different administration,” Avril said.
As a musician, with a focus on Baroque performance, Avril has brought many musicians and workshops to town including The Waifs.
This article appeared in Denmark Bulletin, 10 July 2025.
