Why I love Australia by Bronwyn Bancroft
Little Hare, 2010. ISBN 9781921541780.
In her speech at the launch of this book, the Governor General, Her
Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, began by acknowledging 'the traditional
keepers of the land where we gather --- [and those] who work to
preserve
and shine light on our nation's ancient and contemporary cultures
through drawing, painting, print and paper, sculpture and
installation'. When you pick up this beautiful, illustrated journey
through Australia's awesome and unique landscapes you immediately
understand why Ms Bryce is so reverential.
As the reader travels from the ancient time of the Rainbow Serpent who
shaped the land to the 'modern city lights like a jewelled necklace
adorning an ancient landscape' via 'the soft edges of crusted salt pans
that create drawings on the land' and the 'shards of rainbow and
swaying tentacles of watery light in a coral reef' you begin to
get an inkling of the relationship that the indigenous people have with
their land. It is living and life-giving with the human spirit
intertwined and integrated in every image, just as it should be.
Every scene has a person holding a coolamon with curls of smoke rising
from it, representing the traditional smoking ceremonies that
Aboriginal people conduct to show their respect for those of other
language groups or countries and their Ancestors. In the notes at the
end Bancroft says, 'The person you can see on each page is the host to
each of the landscapes. He wishes you well as you visit his
country and make your acknowledgement to the Ancestors and Elders past
and present of each place.' Even without this explanation, the
reader has an emotional connection with this book and you find yourself
continually returning to the pages to almost inhale the trademark
colours, shapes, and patterns of the artistry. There is a depth, a
connection, an experience that even goes beyond actually visiting the
place. You can hear the 'suburban homes that chatter under a patchwork
of rooftops'; join in the 'bush cricket played on ants' nest pitches
with friends and family anytime, any town'; and feel the 'beams of
secret light and strong warrior trees of the rainforest.'
In her speech, the Governor General describes Bronwyn Bancroft as 'a
master craftswoman of vibrant, visual narratives' and 'Why I Love
Australia' is an exemplar of this. It totally encapsulates why we
all love Australia. It deserves that very rare honour of having the
Governor General launch it.
Barbara Braxton