One day last week we drove two hours to Australind, where we picked up my Mother and then set off for Collie, about three quarters of an hour from her home. We drove through rolling green hilly farmland and bush. Our main goal was to visit the Collie Art Gallery and see their current exhibition,” A Glimpse of the Collie Art Collection”.
Collie was established in 1896 and named after the nearby Collie River. Coal mined from Collie traditionally supplied Western Australia with the energy to power railways, shipping and to generate electricity.
Karin Stein Sensational Southwest 2015 These grass trees are endemic to Western Australia.
Guy Grey-Smith Mount Clarence, Albany (Claude Hotchkin Bequest)
Old hotels I really enjoyed seeing some of the remaining old buildings.
The Collie Art Gallery, opened in 2015, holds a bi-annual art prize with a total prize pool of $69 000. The competition attracts works from all over Australia. The two winning pieces from the inaugural 2018 Collie Art Prize are both on display in the gallery.
The current exhibition involves work from the galleries own collection. We were particularly interested in seeing the works from the Claude Hotchkin Bequest. He bequeathed 36 pieces to Collie. Claude Hotchkin believed access to good paintings would inspire people, especially young people. He donated an estimated 2 000 pieces to West Australian galleries, town councils and other public institutions. He donated works by Hans Heysen, Rupert Bunny, Elizabeth Durack, Guy Grey-Smith, Norman Lindsay, Sir Arthur Streeton and my particular favourite, Kathleen O’Connor, to various collections. His bequest also consisted of many other Australian artists.
EATING
West Australia climatic zones range from tropical in the north to temperate, or Mediterranean climate in the south, so we still have fresh citrus fruit, a winter crop and also strawberries, a summer crop and everything in between.
My favourite treat at the moment is a thin rice cracker, with a wedge of blue vein goat cheese and half a strawberry on top. Delicious!
PLAYING
Mahjong was popular amongst the expats when we lived in China. I missed playing when we returned to Western Australia, so taught some friends the game and they gathered here, weekly, at my house to play. Then work intervened and I seldom played until I retired and joined a group who play each week at the local library. It requires concentration and well thought out strategies. I enjoy it and the company of the other players, enormously.
Although we play with a modern set my Husband has an old bamboo and ivory set his grandfather brought back from the China Station in he 1890’s. It is housed in silk lined drawers in a camphor wood box along with a set of ivory gambling tokens. Traditionally the Chinese loved to gamble playing mahjong and play much more quickly than we do.
GROWING
The first tomato to ripen on the voluntary plant. There are many more. It was sweet and firm and tasted very good. Picking lots of limes now, too.
The first iris has also bloomed. It is almost pure white! Not what I expected.
This week I have planted cos lettuces and petunias. The pruned rose bushes all have buds. Spring has arrived in the garden.
EXERCISING
My yoga group hasn’t returned since everything stopped in April due to CV-19. I tried Zoom sessions and Youtube but eventually gave up on both formats. I’ve been told Yoga will probably start again in a few weeks. Fingers crossed.
I still walk 14 000+ steps every day, but my new formal exercise routine involves pilates. So many people I know rave about pilates but it wasn’t until last week I really understood their enthusiasm. Now I’m a convert but it took a few weeks of one on one sessions to get there! Are you a pilates fan?
This weekend is Talk Like A Pirate Day. Yes, I missed it last year and will miss it again this year. The last well known “pirate” to visit Australia was Johnny Depp. He’ll always be remembered for smuggling his two Yorkshire Terriers into Australia, contravening Quarantine laws.