Shared histories
All images above are courtesy of the Congregational Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Australia
Loans, bushrangers and exhibitions
Archives Collections Registrar, Imogen Kennard-King
In early January of this year, the Congregational Archives was approached by the National Art School (NAS) at Darlinghurst with an exciting and intriguing request. NAS was in the planning stages for an exhibition to be staged in September 2022, a year which marks 100 years of the National Art School on the Darlinghurst Gaol site, and 200 years since the commencement of construction of the gaol walls. The exhibition, titled Captivate, celebrates both of these milestones, and NAS was keen to showcase the role of the Sisters of Charity in these shared histories. In order to do so, NAS requested to borrow one of the most significant objects in the Archives collection: a scrapbook album filled with original artworks by Frank Pearson, a notorious bushranger who went by the name Captain Starlight. These artworks were completed by Pearson between 1882 and 1884 while serving a life sentence in Darlinghurst Gaol. While imprisoned, Pearson was visited by the Sisters of Charity, including Sr Gertrude Davis and Sr Mary de Sales Phillips. The Sisters offered religious instruction, kindness and company to the Catholic inmates, in keeping with the rich history of prison ministry by the Sisters of Charity.
Upon his release in 1884 following a reduction in his sentence, in an act of extraordinary generosity and appreciation Frank Pearson presented Sr Mary de Sales Phillips with the scrapbook filled with his artworks. The scrapbook was later transferred into an album to preserve the fragile artworks and has been a treasured possession of the Sisters of Charity ever since. The artworks inside are beautiful and vary considerably – there are pencil sketches, oil paintings, watercolours, and cartoons, and provide a fascinating insight into both the artist and life inside Darlinghurst Gaol. It was hardly surprising that NAS wanted to showcase this object when telling the story of the gaol and the art school. It seems artistic inspiration was to be found within the prison walls long before the formal lessons of the art school commenced on the site.
Upon receipt of a request to loan both Pearson’s scrapbook album of artworks, and a mysterious painting of a landscape scene also attributed to Pearson, the Archives had much to consider. Any exhibition poses potential risks to archival material and presents logistical challenges; the precious nature of the material requested heightened these considerations. Security, environmental conditions, logistics, conservation, and the applicability of the request were deliberated before approval for the loan was sought and granted. This process also involved Archives staff visiting NAS and meeting with their staff to discuss their ideas for the exhibition and view and assess the suitability of the proposed galleries. These processes took many months to work through, and involved considerable discussion, deliberation, and research. NAS is an internationally-renowned cultural institution which hosts many exhibitions each year. While the Congregational Archives is not traditionally a lending institution, we were glad to make an exception and collaborate with such a well-respected institution to mark this special occasion. The exhibition offers a rare chance to see some of these original artworks in the space where they were created, and to celebrate the legacy of the work of the Sisters in a broader context.
The large-scale exhibition at NAS, spanning three gallery spaces within the old gaol site, provides the perfect opportunity for the Sisters of Charity Heritage Centre to stage a smaller satellite display exploring the history of the Sisters’ involvement in prison ministry. While the NAS exhibition is focused on the histories of Darlinghurst Gaol and the art school, the Sisters’ affiliation with the justice system predates and extends beyond their time ministering at Darlinghurst Gaol. The Heritage Centre satellite exhibition, Gentle Grace, runs concurrently with the NAS exhibition and explores the prison ministry story through objects and artworks made by prisoners, as well as original records demonstrating prisoner appreciation for the work of the Sisters. We look forward to welcoming you to the Centre and encourage you to visit the Captivate exhibition at NAS.
Captivate: The National Art School and Darlinghurst Gaol is on from 24th September to 30th October 2022, daily 11am–5pm at the National Art School, Darlinghurst. Entry free of charge. For more information: https://nas.edu.au/captivate/
Gentle Grace: Prison Minstries of the Sisters of Charity, commemorating the bicentenary of Darlinghurst Gaol, opens 26th September 2022 at the Heritage Centre and is on display for the remainder of the year, Monday-Friday 9am-4:pm. Entry free of charge. Please book online at https://www.socheritagecentre.org.au/plan-your-visit or call (02) 9138 0835 or email heritagecentre@rscoffice.com.