DARWIN PLAQUE 1 NYOONGAR CORROBOREE

2002
Overview

A circular plaster mould. Six Nyoongar dancers perform around a campfire with women and children looking on. The dancers have tribal markings and wear headdresses. One is playing the singing sticks. The mould has a brown glaze. There is a damage (split) from 11 to 5 running diagonally across the mould. G. Darwin signed on lower right hand side. The back has a wire for hanging and a fibreglass backing.

Historical information

Gerard Darwin worked as a commissioned artist to design ten plaques to be displayed at the Armadale Hospital. These are the original moulds used to cast the plaques. This plaque was made to acknowledge that the Noongar people were here before the arrival of Europeans and have their own customs and spirituality.
Gerard 'Gerry' Darwin was an award winning and internationally known sculpture. Born in 1928 in Lancashire, Great Britain, Gerry entered the Mill Hill Seminary to train as a priest where he also developed his interest in art and sculpture. Before completing his studies he left the seminary, married Agnes and moved to Kenya, taking up a job as an arts and craft teacher at a teacher training college. He and Agnes spent seven years in Kenya where Gerry produced several sculptural works carved from stone. They briefly returned to Britain before immigrating to Perth and moving to Roleystone in 1977.
He soon established himself as a sculpture, completing numerous sculptures for individuals, religious sculptures for the Catholic Archdiocese of Perth as well as commissioned pieces across Australia and around the world. Prominent works include a bust of Queen Labotzebeni of Swaziland, Sir Norman Brearley (Perth Airport), Saint Mary MacKillop, and busts of Saint Pope John Paul II and Saint Mother Teresa, both located at St Mary's Cathedral in Perth. A copy of the Saint Mary MacKillop was also produced for the Vatican Collection where Gerry already had other works.
Failing eye sight in 2009 saw Gerry start to slow down. His last major project was a sculpture of the 14 stations of the cross for St Mary's Cathedral. Gerry died in December 2020. His funeral mass was held at St Mary's Cathedral. His daughter Camilla Loveridge and his grand-daughter Ruth are also artists, both award winning painters with Ruth winning the Black Swan Youth Portraiture Price and Angelico Art Award.

Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-33-COA2015.43
Item type
Material
Width
495 mm
Inscriptions and markings

[G DARWIN]

Year
Statement of significance

This object is also part of a collection of items that tells the story of the creativity and ingenuity of members of the local community in relation to art, design and engineering/construction. The collection relates to the objects social, commercial, commercial and asthetic value and how an individuals or organisations creativity has impacted on both the local community and wider audiences or users.

Primary significance criteria
Artistic or aesthetic significance
Comparative significance criteria
Object’s condition or completeness
Well provenanced
City of Armadale - History House

City of Armadale - History House

Organisation Details
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