Aboriginal Environments Research Centre

14/06/2019

On Wednesday 12 June, the Aboriginal Environments Research Centre hosted the Indigenous Art + Healthcare Architecture colloquium at the Global Change Institute at The University of Queensland.

The colloquium explored the production, place and significance of Indigenous art in hospitals and clinics and the importance of utilising artwork within the building fabric or installed as a permanent feature of public spaces within health facilities. Indigenous scholars and artists, architects, curators, administrators and academics critically discussed recent projects that integrate Indigenous art in healthcare architecture in Australia.

Photo: Indigenous women who participated in the Health Architecture + Indigenous Art Colloquium. Left to right: Bianca Beetson, Avril Quaill, Sonja Carmichael, Carroll Go-Sam, Judy Watson, Bronwyn Fredericks, Gaja Kerry Charlton & Samia Goudie.

10/06/2019

2019 UQ Awards for Excellence

Congratulations to Professor Paul Christopher Memmott and fellow colleagues in the Spinifex Nanocellulose Pilot Plant Team at Long Pocket, who were the winners of the Leadership category at this year's UQ Awards for Excellence.

31/05/2019

Timothy O'Rourke reports on a current study investigating Indigenous perceptions and experiences of healthcare design in order to increase the efficacy of cross-cultural design in healthcare architects.

25/05/2018

‘It’s about resistance, change, gaining authority back,’ says co-curator Gerald McMaster.

21/05/2018

Over four days in May 2018, Indigenous community thinkers, researchers and academics from Chile and Australia got together in Brisbane and Stradbroke Island to critically discuss the problematics of extraction, development and Indigenous community sustainability. We considered how legislation recogn...

18/05/2018

**Wild Australia Show opening at Mount Isa Civic Centre - Thursday night**

From left: Wakaya Elder, George Nemo, Deputy Mayor Phil Barwick, Indjilandji Elder Shirley Macnamara, researcher Prof Paul Memmott, Kalkadoon leader William Blackley. The Aboriginal people were spokespersons for their respective groups who spoke in support of the Exhibition on the Opening night.

George Nemo is from the Arruwurra estate of the Wakaya which is adjacent to the Juwarnyingera estate of the troupe's Wakaya leader Kudajarnd. Shirley spoke of the intermarrying connection between the Wakaya people and her own Indjilandji people and of her close identity with the female performer Kulindab who was part Indjilandji and part Wakaya. Will Blackley referred to his social connection with the single Kalkadungu performer in the troupe, Yangala.

17/05/2018

18/04/2018

** "WILD AUSTRALIA: MESTON'S WILD AUSTRALIA SHOW 1892-1893" TRAVELLING PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION**

Researchers from the University of Queensland are about to send a photographic exhibition titled Meston’s Wild Australia Show 1892-1893 to travel on the road to regional galleries and museums in a number of remote Queensland and Northern Territory galleries and cultural centres.

Conceived by controversial entrepreneur Archibald Meston, the original historical Wild Australia Show toured in 1892- 1893 to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and featured a choreographed troupe of 27 Aboriginal people recruited from the frontier in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

“During the troupe’s tour, striking portraits of the performers were taken by the three leading Australian studio photographers of the 1890s: Charles Kerry, Henry King and John W. Lindt and these photographs plus current research findings make up the current Wild Australia Show travelling exhibition.”

The tour will be launched at the Mt Isa Civic Centre in Mt Isa on May 17th and will then move to Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre in Tennant Creek and Gab Titui Cultural Centre on Thursday Island. In 2019 the tour is planned to reach Normanton, Croydon and Cherbourg. These destinations represent the contemporary communities where descendants of the original troupe are likely to reside.

For further information on the exhibition please contact Linda Thomson at [email protected]

** "WILD AUSTRALIA: MESTON'S WILD AUSTRALIA SHOW 1892-1893" TRAVELLING PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION**

Researchers from the University of Queensland are about to send a photographic exhibition titled Meston’s Wild Australia Show 1892-1893 to travel on the road to regional galleries and museums in a number of remote Queensland and Northern Territory galleries and cultural centres.

Conceived by controversial entrepreneur Archibald Meston, the original historical Wild Australia Show toured in 1892- 1893 to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and featured a choreographed troupe of 27 Aboriginal people recruited from the frontier in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

“During the troupe’s tour, striking portraits of the performers were taken by the three leading Australian studio photographers of the 1890s: Charles Kerry, Henry King and John W. Lindt and these photographs plus current research findings make up the current Wild Australia Show travelling exhibition.”

The tour will be launched at the Mt Isa Civic Centre in Mt Isa on May 17th and will then move to Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre in Tennant Creek and Gab Titui Cultural Centre on Thursday Island. In 2019 the tour is planned to reach Normanton, Croydon and Cherbourg. These destinations represent the contemporary communities where descendants of the original troupe are likely to reside.

For further information on the exhibition please contact [email protected]

17/11/2017

EAIT Citation for Excellence in Student Learning (CEiSL) Award

Congratulations to Dr Cathy Keys and her team (Dr Charmaine ‘Illaiu Talei, Ms Carroll Go-Sam, Prof Paul Memmott, Dr Kelly Greenop and Dr Tim O’Rourke) who have won The University of Queensland’s EAIT (Engineering, Architecture & Information Technology) Citation for Excellence in Student Learning (CEiSL) for their course ARCH3241 Aboriginal Architecture. This award is in recognition of the outstanding impact that the course has had on engaging students, academics and practitioners through respectful debate in the field of Indigenous Architecture. Success of the course was demonstrated by the strong course evaluation results, positive feedback and comments provided by the students.

The course provided an environment which highlighted inclusivity, diversity and respect for culture as core principles, enriching student’s partnerships with industry, community and research experts in the study of Indigenous architecture. A valuable component of the course was the contribution by guest lecturers (UQ School of Architecture alumni), including Andrew Lane, Shaneen Fantin, Stephen Long and Karl Eckermann. Students gained the confidence to work towards respectful relationships with Indigenous clients and communities, engaged with Indigenous architectural issues and possessed a better understanding of Indigenous architectural history. The course emphasised Indigenous agency in knowledge transfer and architectural processes, and demonstrated to students how they – as future architects – can work in this challenging environment to develop truly innovative and important approaches to architecture for and with Indigenous people. The award was announced at the EAIT Faculty Board meeting on the 16th November 2017.