August 2022.

Out of the blue a very welcome opportunity to take up a two week artist in residency at Police Point was offered to me. I had been yearning to immerse myself into oil painting so I jumped at the offer. Two full weeks gave me the chance to do just that. I had never been to this part of the Peninsula before and I was immediately absorbed, intrigued and immersed into the history and present life of the Quarantine Station which was a short walk from the cottage where I stayed.

The Quarantine Station has been on this site since 1852. You can read about it here on the Parks Victoria page.

Having spent a lot of the last two years thinking and creating a body of work about diseases, pandemics, vaccinations and the impact of these on society at this early time in Australia’s colonial history through my KEIRLAND project; the immersion into early Quarantine Station life gave me new insights into how people lived, and died in the face of life threatening illness. It was also obviously a marvelous place to reflect on the last two years, and notice similarities in attitudes towards vaccination!

I loved walking around the buildings, especially in the late afternoon/early evening, as the sun set and threw a beautiful warm hue over the light coloured buildings; the visitors had gone home and I felt totally at one with the place.

I am very grateful of the Mornington Peninsula Shire and Michael Stowers, the arts officer for this creative opportunity.