Arts

As you approach the home of potter/photographer Ellen Hansa- Stanyer you cannot avoid the feeling of being watched ... Firstly, you’re greeted at the gate by a white rabbit with table and teapot, ceramic figures from ‘Alice in Wonderland’; it’s a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party on the fence!

Over fifty people gathered on Friday to celebrate the pop-up launch of the Wiregrass mural at the Kaniva Post Office. The mural depicts townsfolk queuing at the Post Office—a scene that celebrates the spirit of rural life when such places were essential for keeping communities connected.

They’re still talking about Chad Morgan’s visit to Bonalbo. He performed at the Dog n Bull Hotel in November 2022. Chad Morgan died on Wednesday, January 1. He was 91.

In a Galilee far, far away…. The Sunrise Christian School Naracoorte held its 2024 Christmas musical at the Town Hall last week. The musical, an interplanetary exploration to discover the Glory of God throughout the universe, and beyond, focused on showcasing the true meaning of Christmas. 

On Saturday, January 11, Watchem Church will have its proverbial roof lifted by the musical stylings of Taylor Sheridan and Brooke Taylor. Doors open at 7 p.m. for an 8 p.m. start at the “old church on the hill” and is bound to be an impressive night of country music for all.

Jackie Noonan. Standing proudly at the heart of the Wycheproof community is a remarkable former school building which has been beautifully restored to honour academic heritage while offering new life inspiration as the home to an impressive local history museum collection ... One could say there was no better place to host the recent book launch of “Wycheproof and District – The Way it Was”, as here it felt especially fitting; the space embodied the very heritage and pride that Prof’s work captures.

Picture yourself sitting on the banks of an idyllic creek, listening to wonderful music played by some of Australia’s most talented musicians and celebrating local traditional music and dance… Imagine no more! Upper Murray residents are invited to come and join in the fun and music at the Nariel Recreation Reserve on the banks of the beautiful Nariel Creek and also at the Memorial Hall Corryong, to welcome in the 2025 New Year.

Sarah Herrmann. An exhibition featuring works by two Narungga artists has been recognised with a statewide award. Saltbush Country, a Country Arts SA curation of seven regional Indigenous artists’ works, won the Outstanding Regional Event or Project ... Narungga sisters Deanna Newchurch and Lynette Newchurch worked together to create a major element of the exhibition — a possum-skin cloak thought to be the first of its kind made in more than 100 years.

Victoria Mathew reckons her name should be Mrs Christmas. She really loves Christmas – the mother of six children and grandmother to six started making Christmas decorations when she had her first child. “Christmas is my passion,” Victoria said. “I love everything about Christmas. It’s when I shine brightest.”

Jessica Howard’s Bush Wisdom brings together a collection of stories and photos of people from across rural Australia in the places they call home ... It is 240 pages of words and images that are a feast for the eyes as well as for the soul. If you live in rural Australia, so many of the images feel like home, although there is such a variety of locations that there are new landscapes to explore for everyone.

French-born violinist Marie Limondin clearly remembers the day she bought her much-loved violin.  She was 12-years-old and it was already clear to everyone that Marie was not only a passionate player, she was also a very good one.  When the day came to upgrade her child’s violin to an adult-sized instrument Marie, along with her music teacher and parents, headed to Paris’ legendary rue de Rome ...

Karen Welsh. The Nimbin Diversity exhibition, held at the invitation of the Gunnedah Bicentennial Regional Gallery, has been a new and interesting experience for both the Nimbin Artists Gallery and many of our local artists. Gunnedah could be considered to have many different values to our local region – a hot dry climate, large monoculture agriculture and a vast coal mining industry across the scenic Liverpool Plains.

A talk by Professor Barry Golding about the First Nations history of Mount Tarrengower attracted a large and engaged audience at Maldon Community Centre on Sunday 8 December. The event was one of a number of talks about the hills featured in his new book: Six Peaks Speak: Unsettling legacies in southern Dja Dja Wurrung Country.

Tweed Regional Museum is excited to announce the launch of its latest exhibition, How to Draw a Dinosaur, an innovative fusion of science and art bringing the captivating world of dinosaurs to life. The exhibition celebrates the creativity and collaboration that help us imagine and understand the dinosaurs that roamed the Earth millions of years ago. 

Year 7-11 students from Barham High School had a taste of the theatre, acting and stepping out of their comfort zone with the Bell Shakespeare artist in residence program. Working with the famous Australian national touring Theatre Company Bell Shakespeare, students were offered a chance to immerse themselves in Shakespeare texts at the Golden Rivers Theatre Group home at the Faulkner Pavillion in Barham.

Georgie Ah Ling, Donald’s famous market gardener has been immortalised on the wall of the town’s “modern market” thanks to a Donald 2000 initiative and the creative talents of Melbourne-artist Heesco. This incredible artwork tells Georgie Ah Ling’s story and his remarkable contributions to the Donald community.

Late November 2024 a small crowd gathered in Donald Shared Shop to attend a book launch of one of the shop’s vendors. Samantha Davies has written over 30 novels, and most are available to purchase at Donald’s Shared Shop.

Australian rapper Briggs (Adam Briggs) posted a message to fans on Sunday evening, of a racial slur that occurred in Balranald ... On his social media platforms, Briggs posted a story, describing an incident that occurred at an unnamed motel in the town.

Typically, monochrome is taken to mean Black and White, but it also encapsulates differing tones of a single colour for example, red fading to pale pink. Most members stayed in the safe zone of shades of grey.

Patricia Gill. Zak Launay has won the inaugural Denmark Arts sculpture competition’s big works section with Anemophilous Recyclum, a windbox designed to harvest the energy of winds ... The windbox is made of metal, wood and glass recycled from ‘bits collected here and there’ and, according to Zak, does what a windbox is supposed to do.

Patricia Gill. Shamara de Tissera began to play the harp as a young woman when pregnant with her son and no longer able to do eurythmia ... With her move to Denmark and first performance directing the Hildegard Harp Meditation at the Brave New Works Festival in January, she brought a wave of interest in the instrument.

Two larger than life figures have been seen at the front of the Gunbower Soldiers Memorial Hall and are attracting a lot of attention. The figures are painted silhouettes depicting a World War I soldier and a World War II nurse and hang either side of the entrance to the Gunbower Soldiers Memorial Hall – not to be missed as you approach the building or drive by.