The Bones of Collie
Image source Taj Kempe
Artist: Marina Lommerse, Michael Phillips
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2020
Location: 143 & 127 Throssell St
Provenance: Shire of Collie
Description: “A sixth-generation Collie resident described Collie’s industrial history as, ‘the bones of this town’. The Collie township originated as a mining town with its post-colonial heritage steeped in coal mining, forestry, and railways.
The industry and natural resources are interrelated. Timber was required to house the settlers, build the railways, feed the steam engines, and structure the underground coal tunnels. The rail was essential to bring in settlers and supplies, to carry coal out of the mines and get the coal to market. The whole township of Collie is riddled by underground tunnels. Tunnels under the river, the highway, the cemetery, and the houses and commercial buildings.
Over the 65-meter long gradient of this mural, colours reflect Collie’s lakes, river, sky, forest, wildflowers and bushland. Overlaid are ‘short stories’ (the mural is only 50 cm high) of legs, tools, implements, underground coal tunnel maps, wildflowers and corellas hint at the early life and times in the timber, rail & coal industries.
The images have been abstracted from archival photographs and drawings that can be viewed in the Coalfields Museum and Historical Research Centre. It includes species endemic to the region — the Western Corella and wildflowers.” Marina Lommerse and Michael Phillips
The mural was researched, conceived, developed and then painted through a collaborative process facilitated by Michael and Marina. Michael and Marina kickstarted Mural Studio in 2020 to collaboratively undertake a mural painting process while also offering educational and social opportunities.
The Mural Studio team was made up of local Collie residents, architecture and interior architecture students and graduates, and our friends and family.
About the artists:
Marina Lommerse is a visual artist. She has exhibited, created public artworks, and lead community-based art projects in Australia and overseas. Her work has been funded by national and state arts and culture organisations, and city councils. Formerly a professor at Curtin University she was a Finalist, Australian Awards for University Teaching.
Michael Phillips is a mural artist, designer and educator. In 2014 Michael cofounded Ateliervivo – a program in Brazil that offers educational experiences through participants designing and building projects for local communities. One workshop, MuralStudio explores how murals can be collaboratively and efficiently created to improve public spaces. Michael also teaches architecture at Curtin University.
Local stories and archival research: Tom Reardon, Tania Roberts, Nola Green Mural Studio Artist team: Clifford Scanlan, James Russell, Jack Holmes, Camilo Idarraga, Joy Marshall, Danielle Marinho, Rose Phillips
Collie community collaborators: Alison Melvin, Stephen Melvin, Ellen Corbin, Rachael Williams, Thamarat Phokai, Ash Briggs, Tania Roberts
The Girl in the Shop Window
Image source Taj Kempe
Artist: Marina Lommerse, Michael Phillips
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2020
Location: 72 Forrest St
Provenance: Shire of Collie
Description: “Collie residents remember the events that entertained them in shop windows as much as the goods on display. The scene depicted in the mural was inspired by archival research and conversations with long-term locals.
One intriguing story was the travelling hypnotist who put people to sleep and then displayed them in a shop window – selling tickets for the public to view.
Black and white TVs were introduced to Collie in the 1950s. Townspeople crowded around shop windows for a good possie. We set the scene with mid-century modern furniture and Manchester goods on display, in a black and white world of early television.
What is that bird in the crowd? Is it an emu? Is it a swan? It is, in fact, a man in a swan costume and was inspired by a photo we discovered in the Coalfields Museum.
During the painting process local Aboriginal Elder, James Kahn, requested we incorporate an image. See if you can find it.” Marina Lommerse and Michael Phillips
The mural was researched, conceived, developed and then painted through a collaborative process facilitated by Michael and Marina.
Michael and Marina kickstarted Mural Studio in 2020 to collaboratively undertake a mural painting process while also offering educational and social opportunities. The Mural Studio team was made up of a temporary Collie resident, architecture and interior architecture students and graduates, and our friends and family.
About the artists:
Marina Lommerse is a visual artist. She has exhibited, created public artworks, and lead community-based art projects in Australia and overseas. Her work has been funded by national and state arts and culture organisations, and city councils. Formerly a professor at Curtin University she was a Finalist, Australian Awards for University Teaching.
Michael Phillips is a mural artist, designer and educator. In 2014 Michael cofounded Ateliervivo – a program in Brazil that offers educational experiences through participants designing and building projects for local communities. One workshop, MuralStudio explores how murals can be collaboratively and efficiently created to improve public spaces. Michael also teaches architecture at Curtin University.
Local stories and archival research: Yvonne Hammond, Gloria Mathews, Margaret Bates, Tom Reardon, Tania Roberts, Alison Melvin, Nola Green, James Kahn Mural Studio
Artist team: Clifford Scanlan, Jack Holmes, Robyn Duncan
Collie community collaborator: Thamarat Phokai
Friday Night at the Theatre Royale
Image source Taj Kempe
Artist: Marina Lommerse, Michael Phillips
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2020
Location: 64 Forrest Street
Provenance: Shire of Collie
Description: “This ode to the much-loved Theatre Royal alludes to leisure pastimes in the past and future of Collie. The mural is located on the site of the former theatre site which opened in 1928 and was demolished in the 1970s.
From Collie residents, we found a well of fond memories about the grandeur of the space and the shenanigans that took place.
‘If those seats could talk,’ one resident commented in passing while we were painting. ‘On Friday nights we would go to the pictures in the Theatre Royal. With the curved staircase and red velvet curtains, it was a grand place.’
The depiction of the audience, dressed in costumes of the era, was prompted by the quote, ‘We always sat downstairs and considered the upstairs gallery somewhere for only the hob-knobs – whoever they might have been in Collie.’
On the screen, a travelogue of a bushwalker enjoying the Collie great outdoors is showing. Dorothy, a character from The Wizard of Oz, a movie of the era, is the bushwalker. The movie marquee references a long-standing Collie shoe store, Well’s Boot Palace, where Dorothy purchased her ruby bushwalking shoes. Dorothy no longer lives in Kansas – she’s moved to Collie Trail Town for the great outdoors life!
Visit the mural, bring your vintage hats and pose as one of the hob-knobs in the upstairs gallery. But don’t throw any jaffa balls or Mr. King, the renowned, long-standing usher will be on your case!” Marina Lommerse and Michael Phillips
The mural was researched, conceived, developed and then painted through a collaborative process facilitated by Michael and Marina.
Local stories and archival research: Yvonne Hammond, Gloria Mathews, Margaret Bates, Tom Reardon, Tania Roberts, Alison Melvin, Nola Green
Mural Studio artist team: Camilo Idarraga, Jack Holmes, Joy Marshall, Robyn Duncan
Collie community collaborator: Thamarat Phoka