Displayed at the Maitland Regional Art Gallery until March 6 2022, the Archibald Prize finalists for 2021 showcased a great variety of painting styles.
The Archibald Prize is Australia’s most prestigious portrait prize, having been awarded since 1921. Named after J. F. Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin who left a bequeath for the prize it is currently worth $100,000.
Every year the Archibald Prize visits regional centres around Australia, which lets people who can’t get to a major city enjoy the art. This year, Maitland was one of the lucky towns to get the collection for a few weeks.
The Winner Guy Warren at 100 by Peter WegnerPacking Room Prize Winner Kate by Kathryn Longhurst. The painting voted as favourite by the people who unpack and hang the paintingKerry O’Brien All Along the Watch Tower by James PowditchDel Kathryn Barton is a Good Listener by Matthew ClarkeLes by Matthew KentmannFirass by Jeremy EdenFozzy by Julian MeagherMaking Noise by Kirsty NielsonProfessor Mabel Lee by Hong Fu
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
Following on from her work in Newcastle, Rebecca Murray has transformed the look of Beaumont Street Hamilton (New South Wales, Australia). Telephone pillars are now the Beaumont Street Pillar People, each distinct and reflecting the shops they sit outside of.
We discovered them on a Sunday morning walk down the street while getting a coffee. Well known for its eateries, the addition of street art adds to the fun of going to Beaumont Street.
Smaller electrical boxes haven’t been forgotten either, because each is transformed to a mouse sized building. It was fun to see what the next one would be painted as.
Decorating the pavement along Beaumont Street mosaics located outside many businesses add even more colour. Unfortunately, foot-traffic has damaged some of them over the years, but many are still in good condition. We are not sure which artist did the mosaics and planted boxes, but they are colourful and great to see.
While walking around, don’t forget to look up because there are some great old buildings there too. We enjoyed our Sunday morning walk here, great coffee and food, along with the great artwork.
Mosaic outside Scots KirkBeaumont Street MosaicDecorated Planter Box
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
This was a fantastic Christmas present from my wife. A 30-minute microlight flight out of Lake Macquarie Airport, with amazing views of the coast.
Operated by Airborne Flight Training, who also build the Airborne M4 Sports microlight we flew in, the flight surpassed all of my expectations.
After a quick safety briefing and the fitting of safety helmet and seatbelt, we were off and flying in no time. We were soon over the coast and heading north towards Newcastle. Flying over places we have hiked has a totally different perspective from 500m. Everything seems more accessible and open, whereas when hiking you feel closed in by the trees. The pilot pointed out places of interest and asked if there was anything specific I was interested in seeing.
Flying over Redhead Beach, we saw the shark tower, while people walked on the beach. At Merewether, the Ocean Baths were busy with swimmers doing laps while surfers waited for waves. On reaching Newcastle the view over the city and harbour was amazing, letting us see further north to Nobbys.
The return flight south took us further inland, so the views changed. Flying in this direction, we could see over Lake Macquarie and Blacksmiths Beach.
Before I knew it, we were back on the ground at the airport and taxiing along the runway. This was an amazing experience that I really enjoyed. The expert and professional pilot made me feel safe at all times which is very important in such a small aircraft. This is a family run business, and the flights could be longer if you wish. See the web for more details.
The Airborne M4 Sport MicrolightAnd We’re AwayRedhead Beach From the AirGlenrock State Conservation AreaMerewether BathsBar BeachNewcastle’s CoastlineView From Merewether to NobbysNewcastle and HarbourThe Coastline of Lake Macquarie From the Air
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
