Blog

02/06/2020

Why is the Story of Carrolup Important?

‘The first step in re-establishing healthy communities is to acknowledge and understand the impact of the colonial legacy on the lives of Aboriginal people today and the various pathways necessary for healing from historical trauma, using both cultural and contemporary understandings and processes.’ Pat Dudgeon, Helen Milroy and Roz […]
01/06/2020

Forthcoming Carrolup Book

I just wanted to remind you that the book I have been writing, in association with John Stanton, Connection: Aboriginal Child Artists Captivate Europe, will be released as a digital book that can be downloaded from Amazon, Apple Books and Kobo on the 23rd of June, just 22 days […]
21/05/2020

The Carrolup Story: 18 Months On

I can’t believe that John and I missed the 18 month anniversary of our website, The Carrolup Story. Yes, we launched The Carrolup Story as a Storytelling, Education and Healing resource on 10th November 2018, the 85th birthday of Noelene White, daughter of Carrolup teacher Noel White. Since that […]
19/05/2020

Carrolup Song and Photos

Last month, I posted a blog about a song that Dilip Parekh wrote in 2007 about Carrolup. Dilip had contacted me on Facebook: ‘Hello, just come across this site. What a great resource to bring back to life an amazing little chapter of the past that resonates so much […]
11/05/2020

The Legacy of Carrolup

On the 2nd February 1950, Mrs Rutter told the boys of Carrolup that she would do all in her power to make their work known throughout the world. Seventy years later, John Stanton and I are trying to help the children of Carrolup reach out again, through our […]
07/05/2020

John Stanton’s 40-Year Carrolup Journey

Back at the beginning of 2019, I wrote a blog about my colleague John Stanton and his involvement in the Carrolup story. Given the approaching publication of our book Connection: Aboriginal Child Artists Captivate Europe, I thought it was time to describe John’s involvement again. He has played a […]
05/05/2020

Book Launch, June 23rd 2020

The book I’ve been writing in association with John Stanton, Connection: Aboriginal Child Artists Captivate Europe, has finally been finished. It will be published as an eBook and iBook from June 23rd, just seven weeks away today. We’ve chosen that date for the launch, as it is the […]
21/04/2020

Uncle Angus Wallam R.I.P.

I had a bit of a breakthrough recently, as I have wanted to put a post on The Carrolup Story of the video-recording from back in 2005 of the late Uncle Angus Wallam sending a message to the President (Vice-Chancellor) of Colgate University. This was at the time that Ezzard […]
16/04/2020

‘Carrolup’, a Song by Dilip ‘n the Davs

I’ve just finished an amazing phone call! Received the following message from Dilip Parekh this morning: ‘Hello, just come across this site. What a great resource to bring back to life an amazing little chapter of the past that resonates so much with the present. Congratulations on a […]
15/04/2020

Carrolup Children’s Holiday Camp

In the first weekend of November 1948, Frank and Myrtle Amos, members of the Native Rights and Welfare League, visited Carrolup as the guests of the Whites. They had previously hosted at their home two of the Carrolup boys who were involved in the Boans exhibition. After their […]
08/04/2020

How My Carrolup Journey Began

‘When filmmaker and close friend Michael (Mike) Liu and I were first shown work of the Carrolup artists Revel Cooper, Parnell Dempster and Reynold Hart by our close Noongar friend Karen Hume in 2014, we were stunned by the beauty of these artworks and beguiled by the stories […]
18/03/2020

Boans Exhibition of Carrolup Drawings

In an earlier blog, I described the early public acclaim the children of Carrolup received for their drawings and other work. John P Stokes, who had been editor of the Lord Forrest Centenary Booklet, in which five of the Carrolup children had their work included, asked the Department […]
10/03/2020

Charles ‘Sammy’ Crabbe, Part 1

Several weeks ago while I was sorting through Noelene White’s family memorabilia relating to Carrolup, I came across a photograph I’d only ever seen in an ABC film about Carrolup. I’d been trying to find a copy of this photograph for ages. The photograph is the one above, […]
02/03/2020

A Letter of Appreciation

Firstly, my apology for not posting any blogs recently, but I have been busy trying to finish writing the book about the Carrolup child artists. Very close to finishing that now, so I’m back blogging. In my last blogs, I focused on Mrs Florence Rutter’s visits to Carrolup […]
02/02/2020

70th Anniversary: A Promise

In yesterday’s blog, 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 to […]
01/02/2020

70th Anniversary: A Special Visit

Seventy years ago yesterday, Mrs Florence Rutter and her friend Vera Hack arrived for their 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 over the following two years, […]
31/01/2020

Carrolup and Florence Rutter, Part 4

Mrs Rutter returns to Perth after her tour of Australia and New Zealand in January 1950. She is approached by Mrs Vera Hack, who informs Florence that she is willing to drive her down to Carrolup and stay there with her as long as she likes. Florence then […]
30/01/2020

Carrolup and Florence Rutter, Part 3

In the run-up to a special 70th Anniversary on the 2nd February this year, I have been telling the story of Florence Rutter’s involvement with the child artists of Carrolup in a series of blogs. In the first blog, I describe how Florence first visited Carrolup in July […]
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