Noel White

02/02/2023

Mrs Florence Rutter Makes a Promise

In yesterday’s blog post, I described the first two days of the visit of Florence Rutter and Vera Hack to Carrolup Native Settlement. Mrs Rutter’s words show clearly how highly she thought of the boys of Carrolup! ‘During the three days we spent at Carrolup we were able […]
01/02/2023

73rd Year Anniversary of a Special Visit

Seventy-three years ago yesterday, 71-year old Englishwoman Mrs Florence Rutter and her friend Vera Hack arrived for a two and a half day visit of Carrolup Native Settlement. This visit was not only special in its own right, but it triggered a series of important events that still resonate […]
23/12/2022

Looking for a Last Minute Christmas Present?

Then why not check out my eBook Connection: Aboriginal Child Artists Captivate Europe, written with John Stanton, which is available via Amazon, Apple or Kobo (price: £4.99, A$9.99, US$6.99, €5.99)? You, or a family member or friend, can read the book on a phone, other hand-held device or computer. […]
02/08/2022

Magical Happenings in Carrolup Schoolroom and Beyond

Some months ago, I thought it was time to write a blog post summarising major happenings at Carrolup Native Settlement during the second half of the 1940s. However, I didn’t post the summary immediately and then forgot all about it. Recently, I was going through the website database […]
01/08/2022

Kojonup School Students’ Art Exhibition Attracts Media Attention

Last week, Lisa Martello Hart sent me a copy of an article by Sean Van Der Wielen which appeared in the Great Southern Herald on Wednesday, 27 July. This is the same newspaper that reported on the beautiful landscape drawings of the Aboriginal children of Carrolup back in the […]
05/12/2021

John Stanton Interview, Part 2

In a previous blog post, I linked to three film clips from the interview I did on the 6th of October 2017 with my colleague John Stanton about the Aboriginal child artists of Carrolup. Here are three more film clips from this interview, all which are on The Carrolup […]
01/11/2021

Noelene White Interview, 2005

Noelene, along with her siblings Janette (Jenny) and Ross, went with her parents Noel and Lily White to Carrolup Native Settlement in May 1946. She was 12 years old at the time. John first met Noelene in 1985 and learnt a lot from her about the Aboriginal children […]
13/10/2021

Letters from Two Royal Houses

In the second half of the 1940s, the artworks of the Aboriginal children of Carrolup captivated audiences in the south-west of Western Australia and then in cities around Australia and New Zealand. In the early 1950s, audiences in the Netherlands, England and Scotland were captivated. Amazingly, staff from […]
11/10/2021

Development of the Carrolup Art: Charles Crabbe’s Letter

I first wrote about local Department of Education school inspector Charles ‘Sammy’ Crabbe back in March 2020. He played a pivotal role in helping Noel White connect with the Aboriginal children of Carrolup, and in the development and promotion of the Carrolup children’s art. Noel was a close […]
07/10/2021

Revel Cooper’s Reflections on Carrolup

One of the most important resources I have found during my research of the Carrolup story is a ‘letter’ written by Revel Cooper where he reflects on his time at Carrolup Native Settlement. Back in 2015, my close friend Michael (Mike) Liu and I were researching Revel’s life, as […]
04/10/2021

Development of the Carrolup Children’s Art: Noel White’s Role

It is important to emphasise again that teacher Noel White was not teaching the children of Carrolup to draw from his own skills as an artist. He did not paint or draw. However, he no doubt influenced the children, as both Sammy Crabbe and he describe. The following […]
23/09/2021

Aims – Approach to School Work: Noel White

In a previous blog, I provided a list of basic needs that we as humans need satisfying in order to function normally. These needs were not satisfied for the children of Carrolup in the environment created by the Department of Native Affairs prior to the arrival of Noel […]
21/09/2021

Facilitating Healing at Carrolup, Part 2

I continue my article focused on the process of healing that occurred at Carrolup Native Settlement. These sections are taken from my eBook Connection: Aboriginal Child Artists Captivate Europe. ‘Prior to November 1946, the children had been closeted away on the Settlement. However, they were taken to the […]
20/09/2021

Facilitating Healing at Carrolup, Part 1

Some of you will know one of the main reasons I became involved with the Carrolup story was because of my interest in the healing of trauma and its consequences (e.g. mental health problems, addiction). I was looking for a story about the healing of trauma amongst Aboriginal […]
14/09/2021

Learning About Noel White: A Shock

In a previous blog post, I described the pivotal role that teacher Noel White played in the development of the art of the Aboriginal children at Carrolup Native Settlement. I have also written about Noel White’s life from the time he came to Western Australia from the Eastern […]
18/05/2021

Achievements of Carrolup Artists

Here is part of a chapter from my book Connection: Aboriginal Child Artists Captivate Europe which focuses on a newspaper article written by John Stokes after Carrolup Native Settlement school had been closed. “In Perth, John Stokes, the teacher and headmaster who has done so much to promote the […]
10/05/2021

Development of the Carrolup Children’s Art

In a previous blog, I described how the children’s art was initially just one aspect of a school curriculum that used drawing as the necessary means of communication in almost every subject. Early in 1947, Noel introduced a scheme where he and his wife spent time with the children five […]
28/04/2021

‘Drawing as the Necessary Means of Communication’

In a previous blog, I have described part of the role played by School Inspector Charles ‘Sammy’ Crabbe in the development of the Carrolup children’s drawings and their schoolwork. I have also summarised the pivotal role that teacher Noel White played in connecting with the traumatised Aboriginal children, […]
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