Wall of History
I received an email from Paul McIver, the owner of Goldtower Central, outlining his proposal for a mosaic mural running the length of a new building he was constructing in Charters Towers and sharing his vision for depicting the history of the gold rush. Along with the email, he included a video showcasing Peter Lawson's stunning mural, which assured me that this was a well-thought-out proposal. Intrigued, I agreed to meet with him.
Upon meeting Paul, I was immediately struck by his passion for his vision of Charters Towers. He came prepared with a detailed storyboard complete with photos, making it easy for me to grasp his concept. I realized that I could bring his ideas to life through my painting, and I was captivated by the originality of his thinking. His enthusiasm was infectious, and when he proposed a two-week period for me to create a series of seven paintings based on his proposal, I was eager to dive into the project.
For those two weeks, I immersed myself in the history of the Charters Towers gold rush, formulating a loose storyboard. Paul must have been pleased with my initial ideas, as he formally commissioned me to create the paintings. I then flew to Charters Towers, and it was here the history I had been so absorbed in came alive. I remember turning into Gill Street, heading toward Mosman Street, and being awestruck by the beautiful buildings. Recognizing them from my research was incredibly gratifying, but it was not until I saw Peter Lawson's magnificent mosaics in the flesh that I realised the immense potential of the Wall of History and its capacity to boost tourism in Charters Towers.
Over the weekend, Paul and I met with Michael Brumby, the Charters Towers Archivist and published author. We spent an enjoyable morning sifting through photos and listening to his extensive knowledge of the history of Charters Towers. Michael's obvious passion for the area breathed life into the black and white photos I had been studying, and his anecdotes provided depth and context to the historical images.
During my visit, I had the opportunity to engage in various tourist activities, but the highlight was my visit to the Pioneer Cemetery. As I wandered alone among the gravestones, I was overwhelmed by a sense of awe and respect for the people who endured the hardships of the gold rush years. Each epitaph told a story, and I promised to faithfully capture their spirit with as much colour and vibrancy as possible. This promise continued to inspire me during the nine months spent working on the paintings in my studio.
From the outset, I took a step-by-step approach to this project. By focusing on the technical aspects of each painting, I avoided becoming overwhelmed by the immense responsibility of bringing Paul's visionary concept to life. I became deeply immersed in Charters Towers and its rich gold rush history.
Creating canvases proportional to the size and shape of each mural wall was the first step. I was fortunate to have the support of skilled individuals throughout this process, including my talented and humble framer, Noel from Churchill Framing, who took on the challenge of stretching canvas over unusually shaped frames provided by Steve and Melinda from A Plus Tradies. After completing the paintings, I needed professional photographs that could accurately capture the colours and details of my work. Gail Bryant from Gail's Photography was tireless in her efforts to achieve this. Most importantly, I was, and am, immensely fortunate to have a supportive family. During the intense months of preparation, I sequestered myself away, surrounded by historical photos, sketchbooks and all the paraphernalia of creating a storyboard. My husband took care of all the cooking and cleaning and he and my kids kept me company when I needed it. I am very lucky.
With that said, here's some artistic background on each panel:
PANEL 1
The primary goal here was to capture the story of Jupiter. The lightning and the horse became central to the composition, with Jupiter's portrait setting the scene. Originally, I included a portrait of Hugh Mosman facing Jupiter, but we decided to remove it, as we thought it would be more poignant having Jupiter gaze down the line of murals as if to marvel at what came after his discovery.
During my visit to Charters Towers, I went to Towers Hill and fell in love with the tussock grasses covering the landscape. I took a lot of photos and used them as reference for this and other panels.
PANEL 2
Panel two illustrates the onset of gold fever, from alluvial mining to the beginning of underground mining. Each panel is characterised by a structure taking up space at the top of the panel and in this panel I used photos of the Poppet Head located near the Goldtower Complex as my reference. I also wanted to establish some kind of continuity between each panel, so I carried on the stormy sky from Panel 1 for some of Panel 2 and I extended the water and landscaping.
My passion is figurative painting and I loved painting the miners in these scenes – particularly the man holding the puppy as it shows another side to the tough miner.
PANEL 3
We are now in the midst of the gold rush, and Charters Towers is prospering. Note the continuation of the log construction from Panel 2, extending into the underground mine's ceiling. The gold coins to the right of the assayer continue into the next panel, representing wealth continuing to rain down on the town. They also cascade down onto the first bank, established in 1891, with each coin growing progressively larger, culminating in the year Jupiter discovered gold in 1871. This is an accurate replica of the actual coin. I aimed to illustrate how the wealth of Charters Towers was built on the gruelling toil of underground miners, symbolized by the bank propped up by the underground mine and one of the workers.
PANEL 4
Charters Towers is thriving at this stage. This panel includes some of my favourite elements, notably the inclusion of our much-loved dog, Teddy. Whenever Paul would visit to review my progress, he would often bring his children – to Teddy’s immense delight. He was only without that ball in his mouth when the kids were throwing it! It’s such a joy for me to see him immortalised in the mural.
The painting of the Brilliant St George Mine directors and workers includes possibly the world’s first photo bomb. Apparently, the little boy in the background is the son of one of the people in the photo and he cheekily inserted himself into the background. It's a heartwarming story that humanizes the sombre photographs of that era and is just one of the great anecdotes from Michael Brumby.
The first of my umbrellas appears in this panel as well. I love painting umbrellas and have done a series of scapes featuring them, so I really enjoyed popping a cheeky one into this scene,
The real star of the show, however, is the Stock Exchange building. It took my breath away when I first saw it and later the same day as I was wandering around the main street around sunset, I happened to catch the brilliant last rays of the day illuminating those stained-glass panels and I knew it would have to be showcased somewhere in the mural
PANEL 5
This panel contains Paul’s family portrait. Paul had a family photo taken in gold-rush period costume and wanted to surprise his family. I loved this idea and thought it a fitting tribute to Paul, his family, and his commitment to Charters Towers. In a nod to Charters Tower’s nickname of The World I painted a little globe in Paul’s son’s hands as my own small tribute.
To create the Northern Miner scene, we used a copy Michael Brumby had of the actual Northern Miner newspaper with Paul posing with it. I used this photo as a reference however I aged him to fit the era, added a hat and a bottle of beer from Towers Brewery. And of course, the clock shows a suitable time to be partaking of a beer !!!
Umbrellas…and lots of them!! Loved painting these ladies and dreaming up colours for their gowns although the grandstand was a bit of a nightmare to paint with all those railings and posts.
The boys playing marbles are wearing the colours of my children’s school, West Moreton Anglican College. I often relied on personal experience to colour the black and white scenes I was capturing.
I also love that Holliman’s featured on this panel and Herbert Hall from the next panel are still trading today.
PANEL 6
This panel depicts the range of essential services that Charters Towers offered. I thoroughly enjoyed painting the people who provided vital services to the community and bringing them to life.
The numerous umbrellas in this panel absolutely delighted me, but painting the intricate brickwork on the church and hospital tested my patience! The ambulance scene, with the patient's boots lying on the ground and an outline of his feet under the blanket, amused me a little – I hope he wasn’t too injured waiting for assistance with all the attendants taking time out to get a photograph!
PANEL 7
The final panel I painted and the most emotional. Walking through the Pioneer Cemetery and reading the epitaphs drove home the courage and determination of the people upon whom Charters Towers was built. These are exact replications of the actual headstones in the cemetery, and I hope with all my heart that I have done justice to their memory.
In conclusion, this project has been an incredible journey, filled with passion, dedication, and a deep connection to Charters Towers' history. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Wall of History and to bring these remarkable stories to life through my art.