Our time in Menindee for 2018 has come and gone

The Darling River (Photo copyright: Anne Lawson 2018)

Outback New South Wales has had no decent rain for two years, and the country is suffering. There are few species out, and we were unable to find any of the 39 plants still left on our list. So, no paintings of new plants.

At Lake Pamamaroo (Photo Copyright: Anne Lawson, 2018)

We have been asked by the Herbarium to recollect species. They are interested in having a comprehensive collection of plants from the same location, collected at the same time, but in different conditions. We found some to recollect.

The Darling Pea is out along the Darling River banks flowering and growing to about 1m, although not as high as our first year in 2010. The black blue bushes are all grey …. except for the odd one being an intense almost viridian green blue, plenty of young fruits are their usual bright lime green. The Bracyscome multifida and the little pink Convolvulos are happily flowering, the Centipeda is en-masse at the receding lake. And the senna bushes are everywhere.

The Centipeda did need some rehydration in the sink before it could be pressed for the Herbarium!

While there was not the usual hum of collecting and painting in Menindee's Civic Hall during the week, we did keep busy,  recollecting what we could find, working on unfinished paintings and creating a field guide for the plants left to be found. 

Our important reference book, with labels of the plants we are still to find
(Photo copyright: Anne Lawson, 2018)

The plants here have evolved in this harsh environment, and have developed strategies that help them survive in the long term. When the rains finally come many of our little treasures will emerge.

Seeds waiting for the rain. (Photo copyright: Anne Lawson 2018)

Can you help?

We are seeking support and financial assistance for this unique Project.

You donate through the following link

https://australianculturalfund.org.au/projects/becklers-botanical-bounty-of-menindee/

Our Project is creating beautiful and scientifically accurate botanical paintings and pressed botanical specimens of the 120 plant species on the National Herbarium of Victoria list, as collected in 1860 by Dr Hermann Beckler in the vicinity of Menindee (south-east of Broken Hill). 

We have always been aware that our Project has a place in history. It has brought Dr. Beckler's contribution to Australian plant knowledge to the fore. Our collected specimens sit alongside Beckler's in the National Herbarium of Victoria, and each specimen has  a detailed record of habitat, soil conditions, GPS location and so on. This provides current data on plants that exist in the Menindee Lakes/Kinchega National Park area, data that when combined with Beckler's collection, could be very useful for longitudinal studies. It is a great example of how citizen scientists can contribute to scientific knowledge.

Preparations for the exhibition of the Project are well under way, where we will display at least 40 art works at the Art Gallery of Ballarat in February 2018. 

However we hope to develop resources to support the outcomes of the Project in the form of several publications. Your donation will help to fund those resources.

As Beckler’s Botanical Project is self-funded and unincorporated, we have registered with the Australian Cultural Fund https://australianculturalfund.org.au/ which will facilitate crowd funding for us.

For the next month or so, the ACF will accept tax deductible donations on our behalf. If you are interested in this Project and wish to provide some financial support to support the future Project outcomes, please do so through ACF: 

Donate to Beckler's Botanical Bounty campaign


We hope you will be able to contribute to this historical project.

An invitation to our exhibition!

Our exhibition will soon be a reality, and we are very excited!

This year, 2014, will be the 5th year of the Beckler Botanical Bounty Project. Over those years we have been creating our paintings of the plants we have collected. 30 prints of our paintings will be on show in the Darling River Art Gallery, Menindee.

In past posts you have seen some of the artists at work. You have read the stories behind the plants we have chosen to paint. Now you have a chance to see the works!

Monday 22nd Sept to Sunday 12th October (inclusive)

Darling River Art Gallery

Menindee Visitor Information Centre

49 Yartla St, Menindee

Open daily: 10 AM to 2 PM

It would be wonderful if you could come along. If you can't, keep watching this blog, as we will certainly be posting about it! Follow along on our Facebook page too, Beckler's Botany

We would like to thank the Menindee community for their warm welcome and support given generously to our group over the past five years.

Sunset in Kinchega National Park

(Photo copyright: Anne Lawson, 2012)

(Photo copyright: Anne Lawson, 2012)

What a wonderful week!

Dear Beckler's Botanical Beauts and many friends,

What a wonderful week we had in Menindee this year, 2013, our 4^th annual trip. The locals are getting to know us by name and regularly visit us in the hall. 

Our group this year consisted of 11 artists, one photographer and one botanist with his family. We booked the Hall for 9 days this year which turned out much better than previous years, of only 5 days. All artists chose at least one plant to illustrate and several artists collected up to three.

Results: 11 artists undergoing 17 new paintings with accompanying plant collections.

Amy, Valerie, Wal, Andrew and I arrived a couple of days early this year which turned out to be extremely helpful. ‘Gun’ Amy organised much collecting and Andrew spent long enthusiastic days identifying the plants. By the first day in the hall artists had a chosen species to illustrate!  As more artists arrived through the week they were able to choose from a list of identified Beckler plants flowering this year. As the arid species are so reliant on local weather conditions, we have come to understand it is best to be on site to see which species to choose to paint in any given year.

Sandy shore of receding Lake Menindee     (Photo copyright: Mali Moir, 2013)

We were in Menindee a little earlier this year and so it was a little cooler, the days were glorious with only a couple of very windy nights. Last to pack up the hall was Amy, Valerie, Wal and I, and so we thought it fitting to celebrate the end of another wonderful year in our fav arid zone with steak sandwiches and Cow Girl shots on the receding white sandy shores of Lake Menindee in Kinchega National Park. As you can see we got there rather late and missed the setting sun but were entranced by the lights of the Milky Way and saw 3 satellites and one majestic falling star.

Magical moonrise     (Photo copyright: Mali Moir, 2013)

This year I was invited to give a talk at the Mildura Arts Centre as part of the Art of Science Exhibition focusing on my role as expedition artist with special mention of the Beckler’s Botanical Bounty project .... great opportunity to spread the word ! Local radio is often interested in our story, this year we were interviewed by ABC Rural.

We plan to return to Menindee again next October to continue our project. Margot Muscat from the Darling Shire Council has asked us to contribute a photographic exhibition of our project to be displayed next year on our 5^th visit. I have had brief discussions with a few curators regarding exhibition opportunities of our project including paintings, photographs, plant specimens and paraphernalia in 2015. Other opportunities for exhibition and publication continue to be discussed.

A special thanks to the National Herbarium of Victoria, whose ongoing support significantly enriches our project and secures us a place in history. An extra special thanks to our honorary botanist Andrew Denham who spends his holidays with us! Thus ensuring our project runs meltdown-free.

A great many thanks to all contributors whose happy energetic input make this project a special delight to be part of. As always, I look forward to the warmth of our fav arid zone country next October, our 5^th year and our Milestone year.

Much love and many thanks to all ............. Mali

2013 -- The Year of the Flies!    (photo copyright: Mali Moir, 2013)

Menindee

Menindee is the town where we go to paint. It is situated on the Darling River  and the chain of lakes known as the Menindee Lakes. It is also right on the edge of Kinchega National Park.

Carvings near the Tourist Information Centre
(Photo copyright: Anne Lawson, 2013)

We go there because the Burke and Wills Expedition spent time there in 1860.

However, the area has a long Aboriginal history. Fossil finds show that Aborigines lived here 27,000 years ago. The Barkinji or Paakantji people still have a strong connection to their land. (There are varied spellings of the name)

Details of the fabulous carvings.
(Photo copyright: Anne Lawson, 2013)

Major Mitchell came through the area in 1835 and  named it "Laidley's Ponds". When Burke, Wills, Beckler and the rest of the expedition arrived in 1860, Menindee was at the edge of white settlement.

The new plaque outside the Maidens Hotel (Photo copyright: Anne Lawson, 2013)

Map of the journey, from the plaque (Photo copyright: Anne Lawson, 2013)

It is a small country town, with about 1000 people. That number swells with visitors. They visit Kinchega or go fishing in the lakes or on the river. Some are following the Burke and Wills trail; some have come from Lake Mungo. The bird life is wonderful and, as we know, the wild flowers are fabulous.

There is an information centre and inside is a little art gallery. When we were there it had an exhibition of Annette Minchin's stunning textile art. And you have to see the 4 wheel drive wheelbarrow!

The Tourist Information Centre
(Photo copyright: Anne Lawson, 2013)

Wheelbarrow with all the options!
(Photo copyright: Anne Lawson, 2013)

It is a welcoming town, definitely worth a visit if you are wandering up that way. If you come next October (2014) drop into the Civic Centre and say "Hello".