Paintings and Drawings of the Murray River, Goolwa and Hindmarsh Island, South Australia - 1995 and 1996
‘When I returned to Sydney in 1995 from a painting visit to Goolwa in South Australia I realised I was making work of a beautiful place that had become a national news story’.
Sydney and Goolwa 1993 to 1996
In the early 1990’s David Bishop and Xiao An lived over the road from me in William Street, Redfern and had become good friends. David was from Adelaide and Xiao An was from China. After a few years in Sydney,
David and Xiao An moved to Goolwa, located at the Mouth of the Murray River in South Australia. XAD as they were known, set up a studio in an old Stables that overlooked the river. I visited them in 1994 and saw how well they had settled in and the great art they were making. The now famous boat the Fairy Queen, local legend Hector Semaschko and Hectors Jetty were subjects they kept talking and making work about.
I visited another three times and gradually built up a body of work. All the works were painted or drawn from life mostly during Winter. The works were painted on materials such as canvas, pieces of wood I found at XAD’s studio in Goolwa, pieces of wood I bought over with me from Sydney, on paper and on cardboard.
During the painting of The Fairy Queen at Hectors Jetty, I met the owner Hector Semaschko who had lived on the boat for many years. At the time Hector was a famous local person and is now a local legend.
A National News Story
When I returned to Sydney from a painting visit to Goolwa in 1995, I realised I was making work of a beautiful place that had become a national news story. There were articles in the Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Telegraph and The Australian about the controversy over the proposed Hindmarsh Island bridge that was to connect the Island to the mainland. People of Goolwa had become very divided about the bridge. This informed the decision to name my 1996 Sydney exhibition ‘Beauty and the Bridge’.
The Sydney Morning Herald:
December 21 1995 When Spiritual Tests Get Tougher
December 23 1995 The bridge over troubled waters
The Daily Telegraph
December 22 1995 Secret women’s business faked
December 22 1995 Stumbling Tickner trips on bridge
The Australian
December 21 1995 The Hindmarsh Morass
On the my last painting trip to Goolwa there was sadness that Hector had died and the Fairy Queen boat was gone from Hectors Jetty.
In 1996 I held the exhibition Beauty and the Bridge - Paintings of Goolwa and Hindmarsh Island South Australia in Surry Hills. It was my last Sydney exhibition before I moved back home to Perth in 1997. Many of the works sold and so these works are mostly the ones I kept for my own personal collection.
1. The Fairy Queen at Hectors Jetty
Varnished acrylic and graphite on wood - 112 cms W by 34 cms H 1995
While I was making this work, the owner and resident of the boat, Hector Semaschko came up to see what I was doing. Hector was known as the "Old Man of the Lakes” and was a legendary local character and fisherman who had lived on his wooden boat, the Fairy Queen for over 40 years. Hector sat and watched me paint for a while. He said he had seen a number of attempts to paint the Fairy Queen but that mine was about the best he had seen. He insisted that the name of his boat was pronounced ‘Faedy’ Queen. Unfortunately a man out walking came up to Hector and began asking him about being locally revered and being known as the Old Man of the Lakes. Hector was clearly not comfortable about this, said his goodbyes to me and quickly went on board the Fairy Queen.
2. Hectors Boat through the Pines
Varnished acrylic on wood 47 cms W x 26 cms H 1995
The Pine trees were really bent over like this and reminded me of the works of Sydney Long. These Pine trees formed a circle and within it the ground was covered in Sour Sop flowers. There was something powerful and spiritual that was within the circle of those trees. I am pretty down to earth when it comes to these things but there was definitely something there.
3. After Rain, Admiral Terrace View
Acrylic on wood 69 cms W x 26 cms H
A view to the Goolwa Barrage that kept the river water separate from the sea water. Goolwa Marina is to the right.
4. Clouds over Hindmarsh Island
Varnished Acrylic and graphite on canvas 1m W x 35 cms H 1995
This was painted on a cold and rainy day in 1995 looking out from the glassed in verandah of Jean Bishops house on the river front.
5. Windsurfer From Admiral Terrace
Acrylic and graphite on wood 45 cms W x 26 cms H 1995
I was surprised that on such a cold windy Sunday people would still go out sailing and windsurfing on the river. I painted it from the glassed in veranda of Jean Bishops house.
6. View from Admiral Terrace.
Varnished Acrylic and Graphite on wood 78 cms W x 17 cms H 1996
A view looking south towards Goolwa Marina. The Norfolk Pine trees were shaped this way due to the power lines overhead.
7. Hectors Jetty and the Fairy Queen Illuminated by Car Headlights
From Hindmarsh Island
Acrylic and Graphite on cardboard 52 cms W x 22 cms H 1995
At night the headlights of cars on Hindmarsh Island looked UFO like. They would momentarily light up the river, jetty, boat and Pelicans fishing before a quick return to total darkness.
8. Windsock on the Murray at Goolwa
Acrylic and graphite on Schoeller paper 18 cms W x 7.5 cms H 1995
9. View to North Goolwa from Hindmarsh Island
Acrylic and Graphite on Schoeller paper 26 cms W x 7 cms H 1995
I caught the Car Ferry over to Hindmarsh Island and despite it being cold and windy, the mosquitos were still very keen.
10. Trees on Hindmarsh Island
Acrylic and graphite on Schoeller paper 29 cms H x 25 cms W 1995
11. Houseboat on The Murray
Acrylic and graphite on Schoeller paper 27 cms H x 16 cms W 1995
The houseboat was moored about half way across the river between Hindmarsh Island and Goolwa. I loved this houseboat.
12. Trees under Power lines Admiral Terrace Goolwa
Acrylic and graphite on Schoeller paper 28cms w x 12cms h 1996
13. XAD Studio Still Life
Acrylic and Graphite on Cardboard 33 cms H x 25 cms W 1995
This work was made in XAD’s studio when it was raining and just too cold to be out in the elements. David had made a small fish sculpted from cuttle and mounted on an old oil can spout. Behind it and pinned to a curtain in the studio was a small white paper bag with a sketch he had made of a bird with actual feathers fixed to the tail area of the bird drawing.
14. Sydney Morning Herald Metro
May 17-23 1996
In the Sydney Morning Herald there were a lot of exhibitions advertised and I was delighted when they chose to feature my exhibition in this edition.
15. Detail of Sydney Morning Herald Metro May 17-23 1996
16. Front of exhibition invite for Beauty and the Bridge - Paintings of Goolwa and Hindmarsh Island
17. Oblique aerial view from a Sydney Morning Herald article on the controversy surrounding the proposed new bridge over the Murray River to link Hindmarsh Island to the mainland at Goolwa.
18. David Bishop and Xiao An at the front of their studio in the Old Stables on the river, 1995. Their artworks and their passion for the River and Hectors Boat The Fairy Queen, inspired me greatly.
19. Now and Then
‘When I returned to Sydney in 1995 from a painting visit to Goolwa in South Australia I realised I was making work of a beautiful place that had become a national news story’.
Sydney and Goolwa 1993 to 1996
In the early 1990’s David Bishop and Xiao An lived over the road from me in William Street, Redfern and had become good friends. David was from Adelaide and Xiao An was from China. After a few years in Sydney,
David and Xiao An moved to Goolwa, located at the Mouth of the Murray River in South Australia. XAD as they were known, set up a studio in an old Stables that overlooked the river. I visited them in 1994 and saw how well they had settled in and the great art they were making. The now famous boat the Fairy Queen, local legend Hector Semaschko and Hectors Jetty were subjects they kept talking and making work about.
I visited another three times and gradually built up a body of work. All the works were painted or drawn from life mostly during Winter. The works were painted on materials such as canvas, pieces of wood I found at XAD’s studio in Goolwa, pieces of wood I bought over with me from Sydney, on paper and on cardboard.
During the painting of The Fairy Queen at Hectors Jetty, I met the owner Hector Semaschko who had lived on the boat for many years. At the time Hector was a famous local person and is now a local legend.
A National News Story
When I returned to Sydney from a painting visit to Goolwa in 1995, I realised I was making work of a beautiful place that had become a national news story. There were articles in the Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Telegraph and The Australian about the controversy over the proposed Hindmarsh Island bridge that was to connect the Island to the mainland. People of Goolwa had become very divided about the bridge. This informed the decision to name my 1996 Sydney exhibition ‘Beauty and the Bridge’.
The Sydney Morning Herald:
December 21 1995 When Spiritual Tests Get Tougher
December 23 1995 The bridge over troubled waters
The Daily Telegraph
December 22 1995 Secret women’s business faked
December 22 1995 Stumbling Tickner trips on bridge
The Australian
December 21 1995 The Hindmarsh Morass
On the my last painting trip to Goolwa there was sadness that Hector had died and the Fairy Queen boat was gone from Hectors Jetty.
In 1996 I held the exhibition Beauty and the Bridge - Paintings of Goolwa and Hindmarsh Island South Australia in Surry Hills. It was my last Sydney exhibition before I moved back home to Perth in 1997. Many of the works sold and so these works are mostly the ones I kept for my own personal collection.
1. The Fairy Queen at Hectors Jetty
Varnished acrylic and graphite on wood - 112 cms W by 34 cms H 1995
While I was making this work, the owner and resident of the boat, Hector Semaschko came up to see what I was doing. Hector was known as the "Old Man of the Lakes” and was a legendary local character and fisherman who had lived on his wooden boat, the Fairy Queen for over 40 years. Hector sat and watched me paint for a while. He said he had seen a number of attempts to paint the Fairy Queen but that mine was about the best he had seen. He insisted that the name of his boat was pronounced ‘Faedy’ Queen. Unfortunately a man out walking came up to Hector and began asking him about being locally revered and being known as the Old Man of the Lakes. Hector was clearly not comfortable about this, said his goodbyes to me and quickly went on board the Fairy Queen.
2. Hectors Boat through the Pines
Varnished acrylic on wood 47 cms W x 26 cms H 1995
The Pine trees were really bent over like this and reminded me of the works of Sydney Long. These Pine trees formed a circle and within it the ground was covered in Sour Sop flowers. There was something powerful and spiritual that was within the circle of those trees. I am pretty down to earth when it comes to these things but there was definitely something there.
3. After Rain, Admiral Terrace View
Acrylic on wood 69 cms W x 26 cms H
A view to the Goolwa Barrage that kept the river water separate from the sea water. Goolwa Marina is to the right.
4. Clouds over Hindmarsh Island
Varnished Acrylic and graphite on canvas 1m W x 35 cms H 1995
This was painted on a cold and rainy day in 1995 looking out from the glassed in verandah of Jean Bishops house on the river front.
5. Windsurfer From Admiral Terrace
Acrylic and graphite on wood 45 cms W x 26 cms H 1995
I was surprised that on such a cold windy Sunday people would still go out sailing and windsurfing on the river. I painted it from the glassed in veranda of Jean Bishops house.
6. View from Admiral Terrace.
Varnished Acrylic and Graphite on wood 78 cms W x 17 cms H 1996
A view looking south towards Goolwa Marina. The Norfolk Pine trees were shaped this way due to the power lines overhead.
7. Hectors Jetty and the Fairy Queen Illuminated by Car Headlights
From Hindmarsh Island
Acrylic and Graphite on cardboard 52 cms W x 22 cms H 1995
At night the headlights of cars on Hindmarsh Island looked UFO like. They would momentarily light up the river, jetty, boat and Pelicans fishing before a quick return to total darkness.
8. Windsock on the Murray at Goolwa
Acrylic and graphite on Schoeller paper 18 cms W x 7.5 cms H 1995
9. View to North Goolwa from Hindmarsh Island
Acrylic and Graphite on Schoeller paper 26 cms W x 7 cms H 1995
I caught the Car Ferry over to Hindmarsh Island and despite it being cold and windy, the mosquitos were still very keen.
10. Trees on Hindmarsh Island
Acrylic and graphite on Schoeller paper 29 cms H x 25 cms W 1995
11. Houseboat on The Murray
Acrylic and graphite on Schoeller paper 27 cms H x 16 cms W 1995
The houseboat was moored about half way across the river between Hindmarsh Island and Goolwa. I loved this houseboat.
12. Trees under Power lines Admiral Terrace Goolwa
Acrylic and graphite on Schoeller paper 28cms w x 12cms h 1996
13. XAD Studio Still Life
Acrylic and Graphite on Cardboard 33 cms H x 25 cms W 1995
This work was made in XAD’s studio when it was raining and just too cold to be out in the elements. David had made a small fish sculpted from cuttle and mounted on an old oil can spout. Behind it and pinned to a curtain in the studio was a small white paper bag with a sketch he had made of a bird with actual feathers fixed to the tail area of the bird drawing.
14. Sydney Morning Herald Metro
May 17-23 1996
In the Sydney Morning Herald there were a lot of exhibitions advertised and I was delighted when they chose to feature my exhibition in this edition.
15. Detail of Sydney Morning Herald Metro May 17-23 1996
16. Front of exhibition invite for Beauty and the Bridge - Paintings of Goolwa and Hindmarsh Island
17. Oblique aerial view from a Sydney Morning Herald article on the controversy surrounding the proposed new bridge over the Murray River to link Hindmarsh Island to the mainland at Goolwa.
18. David Bishop and Xiao An at the front of their studio in the Old Stables on the river, 1995. Their artworks and their passion for the River and Hectors Boat The Fairy Queen, inspired me greatly.
19. Now and Then
