Australian Women's Art
in the National Library's Collections

Section 3. Children's lives


Patchwork quilt worked by Aboriginal children
in Western Australia c.1845

assisted by Elizabeth Irwin (c.1834-1921)
cotton quilt
A40006301

Elizabeth Irwin was the niece of the Commandant of troops in charge of the Swan River Colony in the 1840s. During this time she visited the colony and it is thought that it was her guidance and teaching which led to the Aboriginal children making this quilt.


Miles Franklin (1879-1954)

Needlework sampler 1890
wool on cotton
A40009319

The writer Miles Franklin was only 11 years old when she made this sampler. It was common practise even in the 1950s for girls to learn sewing techniques by completing samplers.


Ida Rentoul Outhwaite (1888-1960)

Illustrations from The story of the pantomime
Humpty Dumpty specially written for the little one

written by Annie Rentoul and illustrated by
Ida S. Rentoul (Sydney: s.n., c.1908)

Ida Rentoul Outhwaite's delicate paintings of fairies and magical creatures gained enormous fame during the first decades of the twentieth century. She illustrated a number of books written by her sister Annie Rentoul, and their partnership included this publication, the story of the 1908 pantomime of Humpty Dumpty which showed at Her Majesty's Theatre, Pitt Street, Sydney.


May Gibbs (1877-1969)

Three postcards c.1916
offset photomechanical prints
S10605 S10608 S10609

Courtesy of the copyright holders The Spastic Centre of NSW and The NSW Society for Children and Young Adults with Physical Disabilities

Division of Maternal & Baby Welfare poster
(Department of Public Health, New South Wales)

(Sydney: Government printer, 1920)
coloured poster
POS 92/5

May Gibbs designed these postcards during the First World War. They were reproduced by the thousands and sent to the Australian troops overseas to lift their spirits. The cards featured 'Gumnut Babies', who quickly became extremely popular among the general public. Their success inspired Gibbs to use them as the major characters in her first full length children's book, the now famous Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, published in 1918.


Elizabeth Durack (b.1915)

Me and Mummy slide down sand hills c.1930
ink drawing
R11061

This drawing is one of five unpublished images by Elizabeth Durack, commissioned as illustrations for the book No roads go by (1954) written by Myrtle Rose White.

Elizabeth Durack is a Western Australian artist whose paintings have been shown at over 50 exhibitions both nationally and internationally. Her works are deeply personal interpretations of the life and landscapes of her home state. Elizabeth Durack and her sister Mary wrote All-about (1935), The way of the whirlwind (1941) and The magic trumpet (1946); stories dealing with the myths, legends and dreaming of the Aboriginal people of the Kimberley region.


Nora Heysen (b.1911)

"He saw an immense bumble tree" c.1930
pen and ink and wash drawing
R10901
"And before she could recover the tribe raised
their spears and aimed them at Piggiebillah"
c.1930
pen and ink and wash drawing
R10909

Woggheeguy: Australian Aboriginal legends collected by Katie Langloh Parker (1856-1940) (also known as Catherine Stow) and illustrated by Nora Heysen (Adelaide: F.W. Preece, 1930)

Nora Heysen, daughter of the well-known artist Hans Heysen, is one of the few artists in this exhibition who has achieved major status in the art world in her own right. She worked in New Guinea as the lone woman war artist during the Second World War. Latterly, she has gained great recognition for her sensitive portraits. She has been exhibited widely and is well represented in state and regional galleries' collections.

These drawings are original artwork for the book of stories collected by Katie Langloh Parker. The stories are now being praised as sensitive recreations of these Aboriginal legends.


Pixie O'Harris (1903-91)

Illustrations from Pearl Pinkie and Sea Greenie:
the story of two little rock-sprites

written and illustrated by Pixie O'Harris
(Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1935)

Pixie O'Harris was born Rhonda Olive Harris in Wales and acquired the nickname 'Pixie' because of her mischievous behaviour on board the ship that brought her family to Australia. O'Harris has illustrated over 40 fairy books which have sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Pearl pinkie and Sea greenie was her first children's book.


Ruby Lind (1887-1919)

Illustrations from Naughty Sophia
written by Winifred Letts and illustrated by
Ruby Lind (London: Richards Press, 1949)

Ruby Lind (Ruby Lindsay) illustrated for the Bulletin and a number of books including Hello soldier! by Edward Dyson (1919) and Back at our selection by Steele Rudd (1906). Her highly detailed pen and ink drawings are often comical and lively. Ruby Lind's art has been largely eclipsed by the work of her two older brothers, Norman and Lionel Lindsay.


Edna Walling (1896-1973)

Peter Greville c.1957
gelatin silver
P323

Edna Walling is best known for her writings on gardens and influence on Australian landscape architecture, but during her lifetime her photographic work, both portraits and gardens, was equally famous. Her camera was a Rolleiflex with a twin lens and she always worked in black and white.


Pixie O'Harris (1903-91)

Bookplate for David Corrigan c.1975
photomechanical print from a watercolour
S9004
Bookplate for Kylie Corrigan 1976
photomechanical print from a watercolour
S9005

Judith Rodriguez (b.1936)

The birthday gift 1982
linocut
S10161

This is one of three linocut prints by Judith Rodriguez made for works by Thomas W. Shapcott during the period 1980 to 1983.

Judith Rodriguez like many of the women in this exhibition is multi-talented. She is a writer of poetry, stories and critical reviews as well as being an artist.


Alison Lester (b.1952)

Illustrations from Isabella's bed
written and illustrated by
Alison Lester (Melbourne:
Oxford University Press, 1991)

Alison Lester is a writer, artist and former teacher. Isabella's bed is full of bright, colourful drawings which illustrate two children's fantasy travels through South America on their grandmother's bed, looking for the heart which represents her lost love. Lester has written and illustrated many books including Ruby (1987) and Rosie sips spiders (1989).


Oodgeroo Noonuccal (1920-93)

Illustrations from Father sky and Mother earth
written and illustrated by Oodgeroo of the tribe
Noonuccal (formerly known as Kath Walker).
© Jacaranda Press
(Milton: Jacaranda Press, 1981)

Oodgeroo Noonuccal, poet and Aboriginal rights activist, wrote and illustrated this book as a response to her concerns for environmental conservation. The story explains how Father sky and Mother earth created an environment which existed happily in ecological balance, but which was destroyed by the human animal. Noonuccal used traditional styles such as dots and cross hatching in her brightly coloured pen drawings of earth's creation.


Jane Tanner (b.1946)

Illustrations from The wolf
written by Margaret Barbalet
and illustrated by Jane Tanner
(Ringwood: Viking, c.1991)
Jane Tanner's drawings show the emotions and fears of the characters in The wolf through a series of close-ups which carefully explore facial expression and avoid distracting background detail. While the dark tones beautifully reflect the mood of The wolf, Tanner's illustrations are often colourful and vibrant in their depictions of children at play. Her illustrations have appeared in many books including Time for a rhyme (1982), There's a sea in my bedroom by Margaret Wild (1984) and Drac and the gremlin.

Virginia Wallace-Crabbe

Alison Lester 1993
gelatin silver
P541/14
Virginia Wallace-Crabbe has a major interest in portraiture and enjoys 'snapping people on the street'. In 1991 her photographs were exhibited at the Goulburn Regional Art Gallery. She attends many writers' festivals specifically to photograph the participants.

This portrait is typical of many of the photographs acquired for the National Library's collection as records of prominent Australians.


To MainMain
To IntroductionIntroduction
To Section 1Section 1. Over the Back Fence
To Section 2Section 2. Distant Views
To Section 3Section 3. Childrens Lives
To Section 4Section 4. Artists Books
To Section 5Section 5. Gardens, Plants and Bird
To Section 6Section 6. Self and Others
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