Australia’s relationship with the coast is explored in a new exhibition at the regional gallery.
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The Waves and Water photography exhibition, curated by the Australian National Maritime Museum’s Daina Fletcher was officially opened on Friday morning.
Eden’s Sue Horton and Amanda Midlam hovered, transfixed on modernist photographer Max Dupain’s 1938 image titled Manly Beach.
Ms Midlam’s father was a junior lifesaving champion at Manly Surf Club, and Ms Midlam smiled as she pondered whether his image was captured somewhere in the landscape of Manly Beach.
“I wonder if my father is there somewhere,” she said.
“He used to talk about the ‘deckchair strategists’ sitting down on the beach discussing the war.”
Ms Horton’s late husband Ian was a keen Northern Suburbs surfer during the 1960s, and the monochrome images of photographer, filmmaker and author Roger Scott brought back memories of him and also her own childhood spent on the hot summer sands of Cronulla.
“My husband would have been at these places at the same time,” Ms Horton said.
“I didn’t meet him until the 1970s when his surfing days had finished, but he would’ve surfed Queenscliff where these pictures were taken.
“It was the Puberty Blues time.”
Almost 18,000 visitors have visited the gallery throughout the year, and curator Iain Dawson used the official opening to announce next year’s gallery schedule which includes a visit in late March by Archibald Portrait Prize entries and vibrant Indonesian pop-art from the Asia Pacific Triennale 7.
Mayor Kristy McBain thanked Mr Dawson and gallery volunteers for their work throughout the year.