The Resurrection
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SAMPLES OF OTHER PAINTINGS SOLD
Stray Sunflower
Ibis on the move
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Joan Grimes
who lives on Coochie Mudlo Island one of the beautiful
islands off Cleveland, Queensland, Australia. She moved
to Fraser Island with her family in 1936.
They lived on Central Station on the banks
of 'Wangoolbba Creek'. She knows the plant
called Macrozamia Cycad really well as it grows
all around the place there. She also loves the dingo
and as a little girl saw and fed the dogs but never
had any bad experiences with them.
In 2001 Joan published a book about her paintings called
'Childhood Memories' in conjunction with Kingfisher
Bay Resort and Village. They also used her paintings
for a range of wine labels. She has had many paintings
published in newspapers and magazines during her career.
From time to time she privately holds viewings around
the Queens Birthday Weekend (fred what goes here) of
her artistic collections and has sold many works to
art to collectors and galleries. No one could depict
these very unique Australian characters better than
Joan, she knew them all in her heart and imagination
a very long time before bringing them to life through
'Wangoolba A Prince amongst Dingoes.'
More about our award winning Illustrator Joan
Grimes
Fraser Island is a place I have visited in my mind all
my life since my wonderful childhood years spent living
at Central Station State Forestry Camp where a magnificent
pristine creek runs through the old station called Wangoolbba
Creek. My family moved to Fraser in 1936 when I was
three-and-half-years-old. We lived there, when World
War Two began, until 1942. Whilst there, I commenced
my childhood education at the second school on Fraser
Island that was moved in on a horse and dray by Bill
Guisler senior (the first school on Fraser was at Sandy
Cape.) My Father, Pat Grimes was the appointed Forestry
paymaster and I believe he was attracted to the island
not because of the employment but more of his great
love of fishing. Every weekend we would go the eastern
beach (ocean side) to pursue his great love and fish.
These unforgettable trips were one of the highlights
of my life.
Most of the folks were living in shacks but we were
lucky and lived in a regular built home (see some wonderful
photographs in 'Princess K'gari's Fraser Island -Fraser
Islands Definitive History' by Fred Williams 2002 pages
169-172). To me Fraser Island was and still is today,
a place of freedom, beauty and great environmental significance.
However since 1991 when the Queensland National Parks
and Wildlife Service took over the management of the
island I have some grave growing concerns perhaps freedom
is one of them but most of all it's my great concern
for our native animals particularly the dingo's long-term
welfare. Right now it seems tourism (backpackers) is
perhaps overrunning environmental balance and harmony.
I was an adventurous child and often went off exploring
in the bush and the animals on my own I never recorded
any bad experiences whatsoever with the dingoes and
as I portrayed in my book 'Childhood Memories' an old
man used to hand feed them daily. I was so proud to
be invited by author Fred Williams to be part of this
new book 'Wangoolba Prince Amongst Dingoes'. I feel
that I have known Wangoolba all the years of my life.
When I first read Fred's story I cried and couldn't
get Wangoolba out of my mind. It is a great story and
carries a grim warning to preserve their habitat for
our managers and Governments that this purebred top
of the food chain predator must be saved from the Ranger's
gun. If you do not understand why - you must read our
'Wangoolba Prince Amongst Dingoes' it's magic!
(Photos by 4 to come to be inserted here.)
PRIVATE INVITATION
Once a year, on beautiful Coochiemudlo Island (off Cleveland
Brisbane), usually on the Queens Birthday weekend in
June, Joan invites special guests to a private viewing
of her paintings. If you would like to be invited send
me an email at inquiries@fredwilliams.net |
