Tommy McRae & Mickey of Ulladulla

Tommy McRae & Mickey of Ulladulla is an episode of the series Hidden Treasures (15 × 5 mins) produced in 2006.

The National Gallery of Australia has more than 100,000 works in its collection—an extraordinary reservoir of creative vision and cultural history, from decorative arts to photography and sculpture.

Yet on a visit to the gallery, you’ll see only the tip of this iceberg. Carefully stored away are the things that can’t be placed on permanent display.

These unseen gems include works of exquisite fragility, from brilliant hand-painted fabrics to delicate works on paper. From Australia, the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania, there are masks and carvings, lithographs and linocuts, set designs and stage costumes, sketchpads and handprinted books, marionettes and maquettes, teapots and textiles, and much, much more.

Now in this series of micro-docs, former director of the gallery Betty Churcher presents an insider’s guide to some of these ‘hidden treasures’.

In the entertaining, accessible style for which she is renowned, Betty Churcher takes us behind the scenes, sharing with us her passion and insights. From her unique vantage point, she makes intriguing connections between a range of different objects and artists, linking them to the stories that surround them.

These are fascinating tales—about the works themselves, the people who created them and the challenge of preserving them—and a tantalising look at some of the ideas and influences that have shaped modern art across the globe.

A Film Australia National Interest Program in association with Early Works. Produced with the assistance of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

When Aboriginal artist Tommy McRae died in 1901, he was a man of substance in the region of Corowa and Wahgunyah on the Murray River—known as an upright character, a teetotaller and an astute financier, selling his drawings for cash.

Tommy McRae was born before his people were displaced by colonisation, and he was keen to show the newcomers his ancient culture. He drew with pen and ink on paper and sketchbooks bought at the local newsagent in Corowa, and he always began by first drawing the ground on which his figures would stand and his trees would grow. He worked up from the feet with astonishing accuracy, keeping each figure in his mind’s eye as an entirety, even when clustered. There were no generalisations—each leaf or clan marking is clearly delineated—and never a misplaced line or a correction.
Mickey of Ulladulla was a contemporary of Tommy McRae but we know little about him beyond the fact that he walked with the aid of two sticks. And that he always showed himself in his works wearing western clothes—a long coat and hat.

He drew with pencils and watercolours, and his skill lay in his depictions of the natural world of the rich coastline of Ulladulla, south of Sydney, which was then a quiet backwater, and in the beautifully precise drawings of the animals and fish that he hunted.

Both artists show the amazing adaptability of Aboriginal artists who had only recently been displaced. When these talented artists wanted to communicate with drawn images they did so with a sensitivity to detail that sets them apart.

1. After viewing the video about Tommy McRae and Mickey of Ulladulla in class, discuss then write answers to the following:
   1. Describe in your own words the scene in one of the paintings created by Tommy McRae, as shown in the video. Does the scene present a particular viewpoint?
   2. Describe the range of scenes depicted in the large painting by Mickey of Ulladulla, shown in the video. Define the kind of human lifestyle and culture the painting depicts.
   3. Comment on whether the two artists are presenting any observation or opinion, in their paintings, about the effect of European colonisation on their way of life.
2. In pairs research either the Yorta Yorta people of the Corowa district, or the Budawang people of the general Ulladulla region, and present a poster display about their history, art and culture, showing the ways they may have adapted and been affected by the spread of European colonisation.
3. Discuss in class the possibilities, then using the style and visual imagery of the two artists featured in the video, create a drawing that depicts a scene about the modern-day locality where you live. Another student may plan, write, edit and proofread a short story in about 400–500 words based on your drawing.
4. In groups research and prepare a project on an aspect of Indigenous Australian art that may be presented orally to the class, using visual aids such as photographs or computer website pages where appropriate. Topics may be from the following, or decided in consultation with your teacher:

• traditional art movements and styles from specific regions or Indigenous communities
• modern Indigenous urban art (e.g. political expression and commentary)
• the work of specific, contemporary Indigenous artists (e.g. Patricia Piccinini, Tracey Moffatt)
• past and present exploitation of Indigenous artists
• specialist galleries dealing in Indigenous art.

Tommy McRae and Mickey of Ulladulla – 1
Tommy McRae and Mickey of Ulladulla – 2
Tommy McRae
Mickey of Ulladulla
Budawang people of Ulladulla region
Yorta Yorta people of Corowa district