Canning Stock Route Exhibition in Canberra

Submitted: Sunday, Oct 17, 2010 at 19:34

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Canning Stock Route

The Canning Stock Route is a long-distance remote stretch of track through the Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts. No longer in use as a stock route this is now a vehicular track allowing access to the

Canning Stock Route

Section: Treks

The Canning Stock Route is a long-distance remote stretch of track through the Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts. No longer in use as a stock route this is now a vehicular track allowing travel along

Member - Min (NSW)

I have just returned from an exhibition (free) in the Museum of Australia in Canberra. It was large, spectacular and very moving.

I thought I would see lots of pictures of the CSR and its history. Well, what an eye opener! The exhibition is told from the Aboriginal perspective and includes some of the most beautiful art I have ever seen. There are also booths seating around 20 people when short films of people and their stories are told. There are photos taken during the building of the route including Canning and his own words.

The interpretive signage is excellent throughout. There is also an interactive display for kids large and small. There are many maps and all wells are referred to by number and name.

It ends late January. Don't miss it.

Min

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Reply By: equinox - Sunday, Oct 17, 2010 at 20:51

Sunday, Oct 17, 2010 at 20:51

"There is also an interactive display for kids large and small"

...and that was great to muck around with, however too many small kids getting in the way :))

seriously, It is the most comprehensive exhibition I've ever seen on the subject, a great surprise when I went there last month..and the staff there are very helpful too!!!

Cheers
Alan

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In whatever comes our way.

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Reply By: Member - Megan and Kevin D (AC - Sunday, Oct 17, 2010 at 22:50

Sunday, Oct 17, 2010 at 22:50

Agree! It is fabulous! Luckily, because we are locals, we can see it in stages. Knowing we could come back, we didn't try to see it all at once. The lighting is wonderful - every painting glows fantastically. Very moving. We also found the text accompanying each painting and/or exhibit excellent.

It's worth even a big detour to see it.
Megan

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Reply By: Member - Marc Luther B (WA) - Monday, Oct 18, 2010 at 05:14

Monday, Oct 18, 2010 at 05:14

Hi Min

Would you you know if John McArty PhD was involved. He was in Balgo for quite some time, and did the CSR with a group of people 2 years ago from memory, and a really personable young bloke and all.

John also sat down with people in Mulan, Balgo and Billiluna and got their stories from their memories, so I am thinking that he must be involved in the exhibition.

Cheers

Why travel overseas, you could travel Australia your entire life, and not see it all.

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Follow Up By: Bazooka - Monday, Oct 18, 2010 at 14:07

Monday, Oct 18, 2010 at 14:07

Marc - John Carty was indeed part of the project. There's an excellent online summary for anyone who can't get to the exhibition:

http://nma.gov.au/exhibitions/yiwarra_kuju/

Can't wait to see it, sounds fantastic.

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Follow Up By: Member - Perry H (NSW) - Monday, Oct 18, 2010 at 15:48

Monday, Oct 18, 2010 at 15:48

Marc, there is also a book out - called yiwarra kuju ( one road) . Just finished reading it & it has a considerable amount in it about your area & the artists. By the way you might recognise the corrugations in my profile pic - just down the road from you.

Perry

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Follow Up By: Member - Marc Luther B (WA) - Monday, Oct 18, 2010 at 18:34

Monday, Oct 18, 2010 at 18:34

Hi Perry H

Can't say I could tell one bit of corrugation from the other. Such is life. By the way, the correct definition of yiwara kuju is "one track" but in essence the same thing anyway.

Cheers

Why travel overseas, you could travel Australia your entire life, and not see it all.

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Reply By: Peter McG (Member, Melbourne) - Monday, Oct 18, 2010 at 08:53

Monday, Oct 18, 2010 at 08:53

We came across the artists when we arrived at Well 36 on our CS trip in 2007. This was one of the main painting camps where people from a number of different communities came together. We spent a couple of hours talking to artists, camp cooks and organisers. It was a priviledge to meet them. I've got the book on the project produced by the museum. It's excellent! We're looking forward to getting up to Canberra for a weekend soon.

Peter

Peter

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Follow Up By: Member - Marc Luther B (WA) - Monday, Oct 18, 2010 at 18:32

Monday, Oct 18, 2010 at 18:32

Hi Peter McG

You would have met somew of my wife's family, as they were there as senior artists, that would have been Bessie, Fatima (Veronica) and Monica. My wife has only been painting for about 30 years, so not quite senior enough for that trip. I have one of her paintings in my blog, and will sometime put others in.

I guess I am lucky in that I have the personal experience over the last few decades of speaking to a lot of the older people and learning first hand about the areas and what is there, what it means and all that kind of thing.

Makes life worthwhile.

Cheers

Why travel overseas, you could travel Australia your entire life, and not see it all.

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Follow Up By: Peter McG (Member, Melbourne) - Monday, Oct 18, 2010 at 21:47

Monday, Oct 18, 2010 at 21:47

Hi Marc

The paintings in your blog look terrific. We have a couple of paintings we have bought from the Tilmouth Well gallery that we just love. I hope we will be back up your way soon and look forward to catching up.

Cheers

Peter

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Follow Up By: Member - Marc Luther B (WA) - Tuesday, Oct 19, 2010 at 03:02

Tuesday, Oct 19, 2010 at 03:02

Hi Peter
I live in Mulan Aboriginal Community, 40 km's down the road from Balgo (Wirrimanu). My house is the only house in the community that has two dishes on the roof, two tv aerials, and uf aerial, an HF aerial and a satllite phone / GPS aerial on the roof, very hard to miss.
My Hilux has my business name on the both sides (DMB Boilermaking).

Look forward to meeting you

Cheers

Why travel overseas, you could travel Australia your entire life, and not see it all.

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