Once Known
KAYA AND WELCOME
As we celebrate the opening of this exhibition, it is important to remember the lands on which we live and the First Nation's people with respect and dignity. May we live in harmony with all those who share this sacred land and be grateful and thankful for our beautiful surroundings.
I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people, particularly the Wadjuk people of the Noongar Nation as custodians of this country, its lands, water and rivers that flow. I wish to pay respect to our Traditional Owners, especially the Elders past, present and future and extend this to all Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people.
May our strength and our capacity of our people live on through our Ancestors and through our Culture. Let us all unite as one and come together so we can heal. Blessings amongst all - yesterday, today, tomorrow, and the future.
Charon Kalin (nee Ryder), Eldest daughter and family representative of Cliff Ryder (Carrolup child artist), and member of Carrolup Centre for Truth-telling Reference Group
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that the exhibition and catalogue contains images, voices and names of people who have died. The catalogue and exhibition contain information that could be confronting and may cause distress.
VICE-CHANCELLOR’S WELCOME
Once Known, signals Curtin University’s continuing commitment to help broaden the wider community’s understanding of the Stolen Generations. This exhibition is a gateway for the newly established Carrolup Centre for Truth-telling at our expanding John Curtin Gallery, as the dedicated exhibition space for The Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artwork.
Once Known builds upon a decade of exhibitions presented by the Gallery since the resounding gesture of goodwill by Colgate University in the USA that saw this precious Collection complete its circumnavigation of the world, returning home to Noongar Boodja in 2013. Almost 75 years after these artworks first left Western Australia, Curtin is deeply honoured with its continuing custodianship, as we move forward under the guidance of the new Carrolup Centre for Truth-telling Reference Group, established in 2024 to build upon the first decade’s work of the original Carrolup Elders Reference Group.
Celebrating the tenacity, cultural resilience and incredible artistic abilities of the Carrolup child artists, we reflect upon all First Nations people of the Stolen Generations, particularly those in Western Australia. Through the Carrolup Centre and the story of the Carrolup child artists, we aim to extend our work to further promote and nurture healing and reconciliation.
I am deeply grateful to our Establishment Partner, BHP, and Enabling Partner, Lotterywest, whose generous support has enabled Curtin to build an inclusive and dynamic Centre for Truth-telling, one that facilitates education and one that continues to mount powerful exhibitions that are accessible to all.
We hope Once Known will encourage a deeper understanding of the past, with all of its profound significance to families, culture, reconciliation, society, and to the inherent worth of all individuals – children especially. However, what makes the story of the Carrolup child artists even more concerning, is that “Stolen Generations” is not something that just happened in the past, it is happening today, with First Nations’ children still being removed from their families at disproportionate levels. This is one of the many truths that we need to amplify within the wider Australian community through the power of the Carrolup Collection.
The Carrolup artworks serve as a powerful reminder of what can happen when people are rendered powerless without a voice in our society, but also, how care and respect can give a flicker of light even in the darkest of moments in people’s lives.
Professor Harlene Hayne CNZM, Vice-Chancellor, Curtin University
DIRECTOR'S FOREWORD
Professor Ted Snell, former John Curtin Gallery Dean of Art and mentor to many, understood deeply the importance of acknowledgment in art. Through his Instagram series ‘UNACKNOWLEDGED’, he highlighted a telling phenomenon: newspaper photographs of businesspeople posed before artworks, where the art served merely as a backdrop and the artists remained unnamed. His point was profound – while art and artists contribute immense cultural capital to society, they often go uncredited for their contributions.
It is fitting, then, that our inaugural exhibition Once Known addresses an even more profound form of unacknowledgment: the stark legacy of the Stolen Generations. The exhibition presents artworks created by children whose names we have yet to discover – children who were themselves unacknowledged, separated from their families and culture.
By displaying these works, we step intentionally into this uncomfortable space, seeking to reconnect families and stories through art.
Though these narratives carry deep sorrow, the children’s drawings pulse with optimism, confidence, and vibrant energy, offering a space for reflection and learning. As we open this exhibition at the Old Perth Boys’ School, alongside our Carrolup Centre for Truth-telling at the Bentley campus in 2026, we are embracing new approaches to knowledge-sharing led by First Nations voices. I extend particular gratitude to our Carrolup Cultural Advisor, Kathleen Toomath, and Curator Chris Malcolm, whose dedication and passion have brought this powerful exhibition to life.
Associate Professor Susanna Castleden, Director, John Curtin Gallery
ONCE KNOWN
Chris Malcolm
Once Known acknowledges the tragedy of the Stolen Generations and the enduring impact of racism on Aboriginal people. By shining a light on the past through truth-telling, it is hoped that we can help build a pathway to reconciliation through education and a reckoning with the past. This exhibition celebrates the Aboriginal child artists of Carrolup from the 1940s, recognising the need for healing from the ongoing trauma that continues to impact survivors of the Stolen Generations and their families.
Through this exhibition, we hope to recognise all the child artists from Carrolup – wishing those who are Once Known, to become known again. This will rightfully enable living descendants to reconnect with their ancestor’s artworks – artworks whose cultural value is beyond reckoning – especially considering that for many,
they may be the only surviving physical material related to their ancestors.
The cataclysmic impact of institutionalised racism on the lives of the First Nations people of Western Australia still resonates throughout contemporary society, almost two centuries since this State was first colonised by invading British settlers. Through the 20th century, the Government of Western Australia steadily refined and extended its total power and control over the State’s Aboriginal population. Using powers bestowed by an Act of Parliament in 1905 – commonly referred to as ‘the 1905 Act’ – the Carrolup Native Settlement was initially established in 1915 in remote bushland, as a site to relocate the entire community of Aboriginal people from nearby Katanning, in the State’s south west. This was
yet another layer of isolation for a group of disempowered Aboriginal people, already segregated from the wider Katanning community through the common practice of being confined to live on an Aboriginal Reserve on the outskirts of town.
A generation after the policies of segregation failed to eradicate First Nations populations, the practice of forcibly removing Aboriginal children from their families accelerated through the 1940s under racist policies of assimilation. Children of mixed heritage were targeted, with the expectation that within a few generations, they would become invisible through a process of ‘breeding out the colour’ (H.D. Mosley, Report of the Royal Commissioner, p.8, 1935) effectively absorbing them into the broader community.
Hundreds of Aboriginal children from across Western Australia were thus detained at Carrolup between 1940-50. Although a state school education was also part of the Settlement’s training program, the Department’s paramount intention was to produce a cohort of indentured labourers. Many of these children were deeply traumatised by the separation from their families and never recovered – boys often struggling through their teenage years and early twenties to find properly paid regular work, and girls working for little or no pay, as domestic servants for non-Aboriginal families.
From the Department’s own records in the 1940s, we know many of the hundreds of Carrolup’s Stolen Generation children’s names but sadly, only a few dozen known child artists are directly connected to surviving artworks from the many hundreds of drawings created between 1946-1950.
The surprising appearance of these astonishingly distinctive artworks at Carrolup was in no small part due to the support and care shown to their students by new headmaster and teacher Noel White and his wife Lily. Nurturing a sense of self-esteem, confidence and hope among their students, their influence was cut short when Carrolup was suddenly closed in 1950. Referring to unrecognised children as Once Known alongside their surviving artworks, respectfully acknowledges their names were known at the time, but sadly, since the 1940s, that knowledge has been misplaced.
Far
More than seven decades after Carrolup was closed, the Carrolup Centre for Truth-telling aims to not only ensure this story is more widely understood – and through it, a deeper understanding of the tragedy of the Stolen Generations – it also hopes to reconnect families with their ancestor’s artworks by identifying more child artists from Carrolup that we so far, have only been able to refer to as Once Known
Once Known brings together a group of unique replicas of the extremely fragile, original Carrolup school children’s drawings. These are meticulously generated facsimiles of 23 drawings selected from The Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artwork, being cared for by the John Curtin Gallery at Curtin University. Recognising the unquestionable obligation to preserve this Collection for future generations, Curtin accepts the original artworks can only ever be displayed within the strictest of controlled museum environments to minimise the risk of irreversible damage.
Chris Malcolm, Curator of Once Known
Top
Right
REFLECTION
Paula Foenander
The Carrolup Collection stands as a profound testament to the resilience, creativity, and enduring cultural heritage of the Aboriginal children whose hands crafted its beauty. It transcends mere aesthetic appeal, serving as a mirror reflecting a turbulent historical epoch marked by adversity and struggle. To merely label these artworks as “Unknown” would be a disservice to the profound humanity embedded within each stroke of paint, each expression of longing and hope.
As I delve into the depths of this Collection, I am struck by the imperative to acknowledge the individuality and agency of its creators. These were not nameless, faceless artisans; they were children with dreams, fears, and aspirations – each artwork a canvas of their lived experiences. By honouring them as the Once Known, we pay homage to their unique identities, ensuring that their stories are not relegated to the shadows of anonymity.
Left Once known child artist, Untitled, 1946-50, pastel on paper. 18.7 x 24.7 cm. Curtin University Art Collection.
The Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artwork.
Above Once known child artist, Untitled, 1946-50, pastel on paper. 13.9 x 24.6 cm. Curtin University Art Collection.
The Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artwork.
Furthermore, it is essential to contextualise the creation of these artworks within the broader socio-political landscape of the time.
The Carrolup children, torn from their families and ancestral lands, found solace and expression in art – a powerful medium through which to reclaim their cultural heritage. In each mark, I sense a silent protest against the injustices of colonial oppression, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
The designation of the Once Known serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring bond between these children and their boodja – the land that cradled their spirits and whispered tales of resilience through the rustling leaves. In acknowledging their profound connection to boodja, we affirm their cultural continuity and resilience – a testament to the indomitable spirit of a people determined to survive and thrive against all odds.
Moreover, the concept of moort, or familial kinship, imbues these artworks with an added layer of depth and significance. Moort extends beyond biological ties to encompass a broader network of communal support and solidarity. As I gaze upon these artworks, I sense the warmth of a nurturing community – a collective embrace that nurtured the artistic talents of these children amidst the harsh realities of their existence.
Each artwork within the Carrolup Collection speaks volumes –narratives of loss, longing, and resilience etched onto the surface for posterity. To consign them to anonymity would be to silence their voices, to erase their stories from the annals of history. Instead, let us honour them as the Once Known - guardians of a cultural legacy that continues to inspire and uplift generations to come.
In designating them as such, we acknowledge their humanity, their agency, and their enduring cultural contribution. Their stories serve
as a poignant reminder of the resilience and creativity of Indigenous peoples in the face of historical injustice.
Irrevocably, as I stand before their artwork, I feel a sense of kinship, of connection to something greater than myself. I hear their voices echoing through the halls of history, urging us to remember, to honour, to never forget. They are the guardians of our cultural heritage, the custodians of our collective memory.
And so, we call them the Once Known, for they are not lost to us; they are present in every sunrise that bathes the land in golden light, in every gust of wind that carries their whispers across the vast expanse of boodja. They are our ancestors, our guides, our eternal companions on this journey called life.
Paula Foenander - Menang/Goreng
Chief Executive Officer, Gorenang Moortabiin Aboriginal Corporation and Carrolup Centre for Truth-telling Reference Group Member
REFLECTION
Ezzard Flowers
Left Revel Cooper, Native and Possum, 1946-50, pastel and charcoal on paper, 27.9 x 38 cm. Curtin University Art Collection. The Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artwork. © Revel Cooper Above Revel Cooper, Possum, 1946-50, ink and pencil on paper, 56.2 x 38.2 cm. Curtin University Art Collection. The Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artwork. © Revel Cooper
To say these children were ‘unknown’ simply isn’t true. The were all known to somebody, all known to their families. Once I saw their artworks though, one thing stood out clearly for me; their artworks depicted their sovereign connections to their own country, their ties to home. Despite being taken and kept from their own mob, these children were ALL ‘once known’, both to the families they knew and the Boodjar they came from.
Ezzard Flowers - Goreng/Wirlomin Senior Cultural Advisor and Carrolup Centre for Truth-telling Reference Group member
REFLECTION
Professor Ellen Percy Kraly
The art created by Aboriginal children in the school at Carrolup has always been greeted with astonishment. The children’s ‘lived experiences, their dreams, fears, and aspirations,’ as Paula Foenander so beautifully writes, continue to teach us. Their art is strong - bold - and resilient over these many decades, holds the promise and the potential to inspire us going further forward in this 21st century ….if we take the time, together, to listen, learn, and see closely.
The Carrolup Elder who guided the return of the artworks home knew those children, knew those art students. He understood the power of their learning, their lives lived and their love and respect of boodja to foster goodwill, friendship and trust for creative and good futures. Ezzard Flowers and I walked with the Elder, our mentor, on and through Country to embrace its lessons, to listen and to learn from each other, across generations, across continents. The Carrolup Elder was a bridge to those youthful artists, and they bring us together now, encouraging us to embrace each other with the commitment to care for Country, and the courage to create a loving country.
Professor Ellen Percy Kraly, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies Emerita,
REFLECTION
Kathleen Toomath
I feel privileged to have always been aware and informed about my mum’s life as a stolen child, first at Carrolup and then at Roelands. Her sharing and our family visits to those places let me understand her, her experiences, and what my aunties and uncles had been forced into.
My mum was born into profound adversity that shaped her into the powerful, creative woman she was – stolen and incarcerated among so many others whose lives have come and gone with so little to remember them by. Sometimes a recorded name in an official record may be all that is left to offer descendants to acknowledge the life of their forebear in the disparate period when assimilation and pastoral slavery were the norm for Aboriginal children.
Now imagine a pastel creation by one of the child artists who did not sign their artwork. It may be the only physical remnant of the life they had. We define those unnamed children in The Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artwork as Once Known Child Artists. This is to respectfully acknowledge in the simplest way possible they are not forgotten, that some small hands made that work, and they matter.
They were Once Known, and we seek to make them all known.
Kathleen Toomath, Carrolup child artist descendant
Senior Carrolup Engagement Advisor, John Curtin Gallery
This publication supports the exhibition:
ONCE KNOWN
April 2025 - March 2026
Curated by Chris Malcolm in collaboration with Kathleen Toomath, daughter of the late Alma Toomath (nee Cuttabut), the last known surviving Carrolup artist, Once Known shines a light on the experiences of children of the Stolen Generations through the incredible artworks created by children detained at the Carrolup Native Settlement in the 1940s. It is our hope to recognise all the child artists from Carrolup – for those that remain Once Known, to become known once more.
Publication copyright 2025 John Curtin Gallery
Text copyright
© Charon Ryder
© Professor Harlene Hayne
© Susanna Castleden
© Chris Malcolm
© Paula Foenander
© Ezzard Flowers
© Professor Ellen Percy Kraly
© Kathleen Toomath
All rights reserved.
This exhibition catalogue is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private research, criticism or review, as permitted under the copyright act, no material whether written or photographic may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the artist, authors and Curtin University. The opinions expressed in this catalogue are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the John Curtin Gallery or Curtin University. All works of art are copyright of the artists.
ISBN: 978-1-7640702-0-1
Curator: Chris Malcolm
Catalogue design: Sharon Baker
THANK YOU
Thank you to Professor Ellen Percy Kraly and Colgate University for embarking on this journey with us by bringing these artworks home.
The John Curtin Gallery extends its gratitude to the members of the Carrolup Centre for Truth-telling Reference Group for their cultural advice, trust and guidance: Ezzard Flowers, Garry Ryder, Timothy Flowers, Paula Foenander, Wendy Hayden, Charon Ryder, Dorothy Bagshaw, Kathleen Toomath, Fred Yasso and Chris Malcolm.
Thank you to Mary Ann Wright, Mandy Loton, Vivienne Stewart and Carole Grant for walking with us from the very beginning. Thank you also to Marilyn Burton for your contribution to the care and conservation of The Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artwork which has made the Once Known exhibition possible.
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our Carrolup community who have supported the Carrolup Centre for Truth-telling since it was established in 2020. Your contributions play a crucial role in sharing the stories and experiences that are essential for collective understanding. We acknowledge and thank our Establishment Partner, BHP, and Enabling Partner, Lotterywest for their continued support.
Thank you to Chris Malcolm for your many years of dedication to sharing the stories and honouring the lives of the Carrolup children and these artworks. We are grateful to have the opportunity to collaborate with you on Once Known which has been close to your heart for a long time now.
A special thank you to Kathleen Toomath, Patricia Ryder, Ron Bradfield Jnr, Lisa Liebetrau and Cat Battersby who continue to ensure the artworks and the Carrolup story are shared thoughtfully, authentically and with care. Finally, a huge thank you to the whole John Curtin Gallery team who have worked together with dedication and commitment to bring Once Known to life.
curtin.edu.au/jcg/carrolup-centre