Reading ……………………..25 to Food………………………… o

Reading—history Assigned. A new publica on from the Moruya & District Historical Society

The Moruya & District Historical Society has recently published, with funding from the NSW Cultural Grants Program, a book which explorers the lives of the convicts who were assigned to the Broulee Moruya region or who se led here a er their sentences had expired. The books is tled Assigned. It has been researched and edited by the Genealogy volunteers of the Society. Assigned is 188 A4 pages and available as a comb bound printed book ($35 + 12 postage) or as a downloadable pdf file ($25). Wendy Simes, Librarian at the MDHS said "We aim to introduce our readers to the convict labour force who cleared the land, built the fences and helped to create the prosperity of the district. The early landowners, who were the convict masters and their proper es are briefly described. Musters and punishment records found in the Broulee Court House records are transcribed along with a sta s cal analysis of the convicts assigned to the area. Each convict is described in detail and their successes and failures documented." "The early landowners, who were the convict masters, and their proper es are briefly described. Our convict informa on is taken from the Broulee Court records and the records that are available on each individual convict. "We actually know more about the appearance of the convicts than we do about some of their masters. We have recorded all the informa on we can find on each individual convict, from their height to their dis nguishing marks and ta oos, and their successes and failures. "One par cular convict, John Brown, rather overdid it with his ta oos, they read as follows – (picture of) Woman, Margaret Brown in blue ink, heart in red ink on right arm; man and woman, 1835, M B, “Nevertheless, to avoid fornica on, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband” lower le arm. Some are stories of success and respectability others like Joseph Luty stories of punishment and con nuing crime which neither 50 lashes nor the treadmill seemed to be able to reform. The book includes many court reports of our convicts original crimes. If these can be found they o en give a different picture from the one that might have been imagined. Such was the case of Irishman Stephen Butler. Having read from his convict indent record that he was a widower with 2 children convicted of manslaughter you might feel some sympathy for the man and his family, however the court case reveals that it was his wife he murdered and in a par cular nasty way. Some of the court cases also leave us wondering about the social customs of the day. One witness for the defence in the case of Joseph Walton said “she was going to a public house to fetch a jug of drink for her husband: it was between twelve and one.” This was at night! Or the young lady in London who was robbed when returning home from the Pawnbrokers a er fetching some items for her father at 9 o’clock at night. Although there are many individual stories to be found in the pages of this book it is intended to provide a detailed reference source for anyone seeking more informa on on the convicts and to give some idea of the condi ons in the area during the 1830’s and 40’s. You can order the book HERE: h ps://www.mdhs.org.au/pdfs/order_form_convicts.pdf

arts See you at the Bas for Colour II and Yellow Works

If you’ve been missing your art fix, or wan ng to explore something new, it’s me to get down to the Bas.

Eurobodalla’s only purpose-built art space has been showcasing exquisite and poignant installa ons since 2019.

Its next offering is a joint exhibi on in which works by the late Merv Moriarty and his partner Prue Acton will sit side by side, as the ar sts did in life. Colour II con nues Moriarty’s legacy and honours his original Colour exhibi on, by showcasing the impact and influence of his teaching and entrepreneurial spirit. Yellow Works encompasses seasonal works based on Acton’s love of nature. Using so pastels she explores s ll life in various ligh ng – from paper daisies in the summer to autumn fruits and wa les. Merv Moriarty Colour II and Prue Acton Yellow Works opening night is on Friday 25 March and con nues un l Sunday 1 May. Other exhibi ons in this year’s Bas program include the Spiral Gallery Anniversary Exhibi on from 14 May to 12 June, Chris na Kennedy Collec on from 25 June to 7 August and the Li le Sellers Art Prize from 13-21 August. Eurobodalla Council’s crea ve arts officer Sue Blackburn said that with restric ons now eased, it was me to explore and see some of the na on’s best exhibi ons at the Bas. “There are so many things we have missed out on over the past few years - ge ng out and about to visit art galleries and exhibi ons is probably one of them,” she said.” The Bas serves as a major pla orm for local ar sts and touring exhibi ons. This year we’ll feature a variety of mediums from pain ng to photography, and even a virtual reality experience for local high schools and colleges. "With restric ons eased, it’s the perfect me to explore and appreciate the art and culture right on our doorstep.” The Basil Sellers Exhibi on Centre, at the corner of Vulcan and Campbell Streets, Moruya, is open Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-4pm. For more informa on on exhibi ons and coming workshops visit www.thebas.com.au

Gallery Bodalla is very pleased to open with a new exhibi on by outstanding ar st Jennifer Taylor. En tled “… dear life”, these pain ngs are about holding on for dear life to the places that we love. Working in oils, Jennifer paints with a deep respect and warmth for country, expressed with excellent tonality. The result is beau ful, strong pain ngs, that capture the changing light and caring connec on she feels with the land.

The show runs through to Sunday 1 May open Thursday to Sunday 11am to 4pm and by appointment.

The exhibi on will also be available for viewing and purchase at www.gallerybodalla.com.au