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ANZAC Stories from the Home Front Catalogue

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1 3 3 Cover Image: Chris Orchard. Making Place/Making Peace 1, 2015 Previous Page: Mrs Passant’s Log Cabin Quilt. c. 1913. PWH Collection #2381 Photograph: Tim Cruchett FOREWORD The City of Wagga Wagga has a long and proud history of support for the Australian Defence Forces. For over a century the servicemen and women of the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal Australian Navy have been valued and cherished members of our community. In 2015, Wagga Wagga remembers and commemorates our nation’s ANZAC heritage, and the impact of the First World War and its aftermath on our city, our region and our nation. In conjunction with this anniversary, we are proud to present the exhibition Loss, reverence and longing: ANZAC stories from the Home Front, in partnership with the Pioneer Women’s Hut, Tumbarumba, and Charles Sturt University. This exhibition draws upon the unique collections of the Pioneer Women’s Hut, brought together with responses from contemporary regional artists to artworks and artefacts of the ANZAC era. On behalf of the City of Wagga Wagga, I extend my thanks to our partners in this project, which holds such significance for all of our community, as we remember the sacrifices of our families and our servicemen and women. Councillor Rod Kendall Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Cover Image: Chris Orchard. Making Place/Making Peace 1, 2015 Previous Page: Mrs Passant’s Log Cabin Quilt. c. 1913. PWH Collection #2381 Photograph: Tim Cruchett 5 REAL PURPOSE, REAL ENGAGEMENT LINDA ELLIOTT The year 2015 holds a special place in items from the Pioneer Women’s Hut, it is the hearts and history of the Australian enhanced through the addition of creative people as the centennial commemoration responses to these items from regional of ANZAC. The many and varied meanings artists and community groups in a range of of ANZAC will be fully explored through media. commemorative media events, publications, historians’ explorations of the times and Loss, reverence and longing has provided exhibitions and events arranged by different a focus for real community engagement cultural institutions. While many of these will by having Gallery and University staff work be formal and government focused, it is also alongside community groups to produce important to realise that the war was a time artifacts inspired by personal feelings when ordinary people played extraordinary relating to this time, as they are played out in roles in what they were prepared to sacrifice contemporary society. for the sake of their country. This includes not just the men and boys who went to war, The project specifically required engagement but also the people they left behind, their with two separate and different community families, their friends and their communities. groups; WEave100 for any interested member of the community and the Wagga Recognising the importance of ordinary Wagga chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild people in the war effort provided the NSW. Each of these groups had their own perfect focus for Wagga Wagga Art Gallery artifacts to work on, with the Embroiderers’ to initiate this exhibition, Loss, reverence Guild being commissioned by the Gallery to and longing: ANZAC stories from the work on specially designed pieces. Home Front. This project has explored the discourse of the ANZAC legacy WEave100 Communities is an international through artifacts of the ANZAC era and weaving project envisaged and facilitated by contemporary responses. Specifically, this Maryann Talia Pau, that aims to end violence project was developed in partnership with by bringing people together to weave. A the Pioneer Women’s Hut, Glenroy and the number of workshops were held with an School of Communications and Creative open invitation to the local community to Industries, Charles Sturt University, Wagga create eight pointed folded stars. For our Wagga. From this a series of community ANZAC commemmoration, these stars programs were devised, with the goal of represent the struggle for peace those at presenting a major exhibition at the Gallery the Home Front were longing for. Wagga’s in conjunction with the centenary of ANZAC WEave100 will ultimately contribute one in April 2015. While this exhibition showcases thousand stars to the larger project 1 million archival quilts, textiles and everyday stars to end violence to conclude at the end of 2017. The Embroiderers’ Guild has worked on a a perfect occasion for the community of REAL PURPOSE, REAL ENGAGEMENT major project centred on the 1915 Mary the Riverina region to come together and Card crochet pattern ‘Our Boy’. Utilising explore this significant part of our Australian handkerchiefs as a base, each embroiderer history. The work that has culminated in this stitched a section that when combined, exhibition provides us with a contemporary LINDA ELLIOTT creates the motif of the soldier standing view but also an intimate examination of side on in full uniform. There are two sets personal stories. As one of the curators, of handkerchiefs – one male, one female – and as an educator at Wagga Wagga Art and each of these has been treated quite Gallery, I am truly grateful for the trust of differently to create two very diverse the participants in the process and their interpretations of the one pattern. The willingness to share these stories through The year 2015 holds a special place in items from the Pioneer Women’s Hut, it is handkerchiefs have been used as a metaphor their collective creative endeavours. the hearts and history of the Australian enhanced through the addition of creative for the women that stayed behind and the people as the centennial commemoration responses to these items from regional men that went to serve. Linda Elliott of ANZAC. The many and varied meanings artists and community groups in a range of Co-curator, Loss, reverence and longing: of ANZAC will be fully explored through media. The Guild opened the project to the ANZAC Stories from the Home Front commemorative media events, publications, community and many who came to the historians’ explorations of the times and Loss, reverence and longing has provided sessions told stories of a Great Uncle, exhibitions and events arranged by different a focus for real community engagement Great Grandfather or a Grandfather who cultural institutions. While many of these will by having Gallery and University staff work fought, returned, or died. Some stitched the be formal and government focused, it is also alongside community groups to produce initials of those that had fought as an act important to realise that the war was a time artifacts inspired by personal feelings of remembering. One embroiderer found when ordinary people played extraordinary relating to this time, as they are played out in during her research that the first things listed roles in what they were prepared to sacrifice contemporary society. of the items returned upon her ancestor’s for the sake of their country. This includes death were five handkerchiefs. This list is not just the men and boys who went to war, The project specifically required engagement replicated on the soldier’s uniform in the but also the people they left behind, their with two separate and different community men’s handkerchief panel. families, their friends and their communities. groups; WEave100 for any interested member of the community and the Wagga A significant part of this exhibition was Recognising the importance of ordinary Wagga chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild the artistic responses to the artifacts from people in the war effort provided the NSW. Each of these groups had their own the Pioneer Women’s Hut. Artists were perfect focus for Wagga Wagga Art Gallery artifacts to work on, with the Embroiderers’ approached to respond to a selection of to initiate this exhibition, Loss, reverence Guild being commissioned by the Gallery to items from the Pioneer Women’s Hut. Quite and longing: ANZAC stories from the work on specially designed pieces. a few also chose to visit and interact with Home Front. This project has explored the museum in its entirety. Others chose to the discourse of the ANZAC legacy WEave100 Communities is an international reflect on the broader issues of what the through artifacts of the ANZAC era and weaving project envisaged and facilitated by ANZAC legacy is in contemporary Australia contemporary responses. Specifically, this Maryann Talia Pau, that aims to end violence culture. All chose to challenge the belief that project was developed in partnership with by bringing people together to weave. A there is one single mythology. the Pioneer Women’s Hut, Glenroy and the number of workshops were held with an School of Communications and Creative open invitation to the local community to A fundamental principle underpinning this Industries, Charles Sturt University, Wagga create eight pointed folded stars. For our exhibition was the priority of community Wagga. From this a series of community ANZAC commemmoration, these stars engagement in a meaningful creative programs were devised, with the goal of represent the struggle for peace those at manner. This provided the curators with the presenting a major exhibition at the Gallery the Home Front were longing for. Wagga’s opportunity to fulfil their role as custodians Mrs Toose’s Bush Rug/Wagga, in conjunction with the centenary of ANZAC WEave100 will ultimately contribute one of collections by enabling reinterpretation, in April 2015. While this exhibition showcases thousand stars to the larger project 1 million c.
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