An exhibition held at the National Library of Australia
14 June – 9 September 2007
Cooee is a survey of life in 19th-century Australia, featuring watercolours and photographs held in the National Library’s collection.

H.J. Graham (1858–1929)
Going into the bush to practise
pen, ink and watercolour; 9.0 x 9.8 cm
http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an6441268
The exhibition is less about the ‘high points’ of Australian history, than a panorama—from birth until death—of everyday life. It features convicts, overlanders, bushrangers, gold-seekers, town folk and farmers. The emphasis of the works is not on the great artists of the era, but rather on the naïve, genre works which were often made by anonymous or little-known artists.
As the 19th-century advanced, a facility for watercolour was slowly overhauled by the increasing ease of photography. As Federation drew closer, a number of impressive photo-albums featured the booming cities of Australia and the bustle of urban life.
