Foreword

Pamela Griffith, was born into an artistic family. She trained as an art teacher and later completed a Bachelor of Art (Ed). She taught in secondary schools and technical colleges, universities and privately. She is a talented draughtswoman and artist which is reflected in the artwork in this exhibition. Pamela uses a range of mediums; oils, acrylics, gouache, water-colour and pastels to depict her subject matter.

Her exhibition, Teeming with Life the Wongaloo Project celebrates the flora and fauna of the Wongaloo Wetlands, one of the largest intact coastal wetlands on Australia’s east coast. Located just south of Townsville, the wetland habitat with its bulkuru sedgeland is a significant breeding site for birds such as brolgas and magpie geese. It is also the habitat of other bird species such as herons, jabirus, spoonbills and jacana to name but a few. Her work conveys the beauty of the wetlands and its flora and fauna and raises our awareness of its delicate nature and vulnerability.

The artworks in this exhibition stem from the lived experiences of the artist who returned to the Wongaloo Wetlands three times to observe how the birdlife, mammals, reptiles and invertebrates interacted with their environment at different times of the year.

Four paintings in this exhibition tell the story of James Morrill, who, along with fellow-shipmates was shipwrecked off the coast of Queensland in 1846. After 22 days the surviving members of the party came ashore near north eastern side of Cape Cleveland. Morrill was rescued by local Aborigines from the Mt Elliot area and lived with them for 17 years in the area between the Burdekin and Black Rivers. By 1863 pastoral settlement had extended into the Burdekin region and Morrill was able to make contact with station hands. When he left the local Aborigines, they “begged him to induce the whites to let them have at least the swamps and the salt water creeks undisturbed, and they would give the upper rivers to the whites”. On his return to European society he advocated for peaceful coexistence with the Aborigines with limited success.

In this exhibition the artist has conveyed the uniqueness of the Wongaloo Wetlands and its history. I encourage visitors to explore each work and consider the importance of preserving such areas for future generations to enjoy.

I congratulate the artist for the body of works presented here and hope you enjoy the exhibition.

Dr Judith Jensen