Divin' for a penny / illustrations by Fern Martins, 2013

PXD 1586

fonds

2013

Graphic Materials, Drawings

9594121

21 drawings - 64cm x 42cm - pastel

Fern Martins is an artist based in Swansea, NSW. She is a descendant of the Ngarabal and Waka Waka people of northern NSW and Southern Qld. She has illustrated eight children’s books and is a foundation artist with the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative. These illustrations were created by an established Aboriginal artist from NSW and are based on the recollections of an Elder from the Aboriginal community at La Perouse. The boy depicted in the story is Uncle Ray Kelly, who has had a long career with Aboriginal health services in Sydney and was also a director of the Board of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council. Indij Readers is a NSW (central coast) firm that has published Aboriginal themed children’s books aimed at preschool and junior readers since 2003.
Reference: Mitchell Library acquisition file

21 pastel colour drawings by Fern Martins, illustrations for an unpublished children’s book, Divin’ for a Penny, 2013. Divin’ for a Penny tells the story of two Aboriginal kids and their summertime activities at La Perouse in the 1950s. It is based on the childhood memories of Jan Davison (nee Fish) and her meeting of her future husband Ray Davison. As young teens they and other Aboriginal children would dive for the coins tossed by tourists into the ocean from a pier at La Perouse. These images show La Perouse as a destination for day-trippers in Sydney in the 1950s. The Aboriginal community at La Perouse were marginalised with many families living in poverty on the reserve. As a result of a severe housing shortage in Sydney, La Perouse became like a shanty town with hundreds of people living in makeshift shacks. These colourful illustrations however show the happy and carefree experiences of children who were living there at the time.

1. Tourists arriving by tram to Larpa, snake pit and kiosk in background. Walking to the beach.
2. Larpa Beach, old boat sheds and jetty on bay.
3. The Aboriginal kids just hanging, waiting for the crowd of tourists.
4. The kids starting their performances, jumping off the jetty.
5. Hey mister, hey missus! Throw a “penny’.
6. First dive down, first to get the penny.
7. Coming up, not happy as he got the penny before me.
8. Going down for a second time.
9. But she tries to stop him this time by pulling his togs.
10. I got it, but he’s not happy and the other kids are laughing.
11. Waiting for the next dive.
12. Still waiting.
13. Coming back onto the jetty for another jump.
14. The other kids running for another dive.
15. Just hanging.
16. He’s got a mouthful of pennies.
17. Tourists clapping as the young boy did collect a heap of pennies, he was uncomfortable.
18. Running off the jetty and friendship starting and walking up the beach towards the kiosk.
19. Thinking about the day.
20. Tucker first with the pennies.
21. An investment buy, a pair of goggles.

Copyright status:: In copyright
Copyright holder:: Fern Martins
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder

Contents list adapted from inventory supplied by artist.