HISTORY IN THE MAKING

History in the Making is a large scale narrative painting that explores the tangled, often conflicting identities at the heart of Australia's colonial past. Drawing upon folklore, myth and historical archetypes, this work brings together symbolic characters - each representing a foundational strand of the nation's development - to sit together around the campfire in a moment of tension, irony and uneasy reflection.
At the heart of the composition stands Ned Kelly, clad in corroded iron and wielding guns. He dominates the scene with his charismatic presence. He is an unapologetic bushranger, spinning stories of rebellion and theft, blurring the lines between hero and criminal. He represents a rogue individualism deeply embedded in Australian identity - one that defies authority, yet remains part of the same nation building machinery.
Seated beside him is a cow, a domesticated figure, embodying the free settler: calm, civilised and industrious. She has just realised that Ned is not the romanticised outlaw of bush legend, but a cattle rustler. Her sudden awareness reflects a deeper national reckoning: the realisation that idealism and myth often mask uncomfortable truths.
The kangaroos are a dual embodiment of the indigenous connection to land and the fragile ecosystem that once thrived in balance. The mother kangaroo, constructed from paper mache, is brittle, fractured, yet still present - her body a metaphor for the delicate and endangered state of indigenous culture and the environment. Her stern gaze communicates disapproval and sorrow over the irreversible changes brought by colonisation. Her joey peers out with wide-eyed innocence - a symbol of both hope and naivety, unaware of the loss and resilience that define their heritage.
Nestled against the gum tree is the penguin, plush like a soft toy - a nod to the immigrant experience. Silent, culturally displaced, the penguin listens but does not comprehend Ned's brash storytelling, Yet, despite it's marginal position, it represents the quiet strength of immigrant contributions, bringing culture, food and vitality to the country's identity, though often overlooked and easily dismissed.
Completing the circle is the dog, alert and eager, one ear pricked as Ned recounts his lawless adventures. This dog channels the convict mentality - opportunistic, rough-edged, and sensing kinship in the outlaw's tales. He sees in Ned a kindred spirit; not a hero, but a reflection of shared struggle and subversion.
Each figure in History in the Making occupies a unique position in Australia's narrative. Their gathering is not harmonious - it's laced with tension, misunderstanding and contradiction. But it is precisely this uneasy convergence that shaped a fledgling nation; settler and bushrangers, indigenous custodians, immigrants and convicts - all layered into a complex tapestry of identity, myth and legacy.
This work invites the viewer to confront the histories we inherit and the stories we tell ourselves. It is a visual allegory nationhood: fractured, unfinished and still very much in the making.