Exhibition looks beyond war to community stories

07 November 2018

Homecoming is a special war-themed exhibition currently being presented at the John Mullins Memorial Art Gallery at Dogwood Crossing in Miles.

It is a behind-the-scenes look into the reflections of family members who were close to someone who went to war.

It is also the everyday stories of our communities and how life continued for those who returned to a home that, for some, they no longer related to.

Western Downs Regional Council Councillor Kaye Maguire says that this exhibition focuses on the stories surrounding conflicts from the first World War to the present day.

“It shares the experiences of children who had to get to know their father’s, displays the beautifully illustrated letters that an enlisted sign writer sent to his wife and children, explores how a young wife with a brood of young children coped with long absences and an uncertain future,” Cr Maguire said.

“For many of those who returned from war, their experiences were never spoken about. The prevailing attitude was just to ‘get on with life’ and not dwell on the past.

“This means that many family members simply did not know what kind of experiences the returned soldiers had lived through, so they struggled to understand why life post-deployment was never quite the same.

“Some of these stories have only come to light in recent years, some accidentally stumbled upon by future generations.”

Several local artists answered the call to contribute to Homecoming, many of whom have a personal connection with the subject.

Western Downs Regional Council received grant funding under the Queensland Anzac Centenary Grants Program for the interpretation phase of the project and to help produce a keepsake catalogue which will be handed out to visitors.

The Homecoming exhibition runs between 11 November 2018 and 15 January 2019.

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Media Contact: Michael Doyle               Media Relations Senior Officer               0419 048 594