When a young shepherdess named Bridget Coleman (1856-1873) was murdered at Moonbi near Tamworth in 1873, David Wiley (1815-1876), a stranger to her, penned a poem about this crime. In the simply titled poem ‘Bridget Coleman’, Wiley expressed deep dissatisfaction that authorities did not find and bring to justice Bridget’s brutal killer. But why did […]
We take pictures to remember, freezing a moment forever, afraid a memory will be lost. Our smartphones have made the act of taking a photo something we do almost without thinking. It is now so easy to snap a portrait of a friend, that around the world some 54,400 images are snapped every second. It […]
When is a guitar more than just a guitar? The guitar pictured here is a Gibson J200VS – a classic acoustic flat top, much loved by musicians all over the world. Its design has barely changed since its release in 1937, making it a true icon. But this Gibson is more than just an iconic […]
Crown Bugalaa was created in response to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Collections held without consent at the University of New England (UNE), on Anaiwan Country. The work was informed by First Nations oral histories and my own PhD research on Gomeroi weaving at the UNE, in Armidale NSW. My People provided me the […]
In 1873, when shepherding in a lonely valley at Mulla Creek on Kamilaroi Country near Tamworth, 17-year-old Bridget Coleman (1856-1873) was assaulted and strangled. The lock of hair shown here is Bridget’s. Bridget’s brother Thomas, who was minding the sheep with her, discovered Bridget’s bloodied body lying face-down. Alarmed at the sight of her lifeless […]
By the age of ten Rocky Cameron (1944-2016) was already an experienced performer. He had ‘cut his teeth’ on the greater-Sydney radio circuit – 2UW, 2KY, 2GB & 2KA – but even with those successes he still felt his nerves swell. Following the introduction of television to Australia, Rocky made it to the stage of […]
A multi-instrumentalist, clown and busker, Rodney Walker is a retired Australian country music artist. His home-made eccentric musical contraptions combine as many as thirteen instruments, secured together with steel brackets. Carried on his head and shoulders, his instrument ensemble allowed Rodney to play guitar, sing, and use his feet to sound the percussion, all at […]
Described as a ‘painters painter’, Lucy Culliton has been a finalist in several Archibald, Wynne and Sulman art prizes, marking her as one of Australia’s leading representational contemporary painters. Known for her depictions of found object assemblages, landscapes, and portraits of people and animals, art critic John McDonald described her work as being a ‘perfect […]
Gilmore Bennet, known as Gil, was a Tamworth resident with an interest in geology – the study of the matter and processes that shape the earth, and lapidary – the art of cutting, polishing and engraving stones and gems. For over 20 years he collected geological specimens from Australia and around the world. In 2008 […]
On 9 November 1988 the Tamworth PowerStation Museum was opened on the site where, one hundred years earlier, the steam engines that ran the town’s first electric street lights were located and housed. The museum’s opening marked and commemorated the centenary of the introduction of the town’s electric light system – which was the first […]
Museums & Galleries of NSW acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands that comprise the state now known as NSW.
We pay respect to them as First Nations people with a continuing connection to land, place, waters and community
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this site contains stories, images, voices, and video of people who have died.
Some material may contain terms that reflect common usage of the period in which it was written or recorded but may not be considered appropriate today. Such terms do not reflect the views of Museums and Galleries of NSW and are provided only to reflect historical context.