
Check out all the things you can do - from exploring our nature, looking for fun activities or learning new skills.
Check out all the things you can do - from exploring our nature, looking for fun activities or learning new skills.
Whatever your experience, our places and programs will help you explore Manningham and a variety of contemporary art and recreational choices in fun and engaging ways.
The Aquarena Aquatic and Leisure Centre is one of the largest recreation and aquatic facilities in Victoria.
Whether you are looking to improve your club operations or increase participation - you can find useful information and templates to get you started.
We have a vibrant arts and cultural scene for you to explore. With a proud history in visual arts, Arts Manningham is home to renowned painters, ceramicists and mid-twentieth century artists.
Get to know our municipality through our local businesses.
View our range of grants available to assist your community group, club or arts practice.
Are you hoping to learn a new skill or looking for fun activities for kids?
No matter what your experience is, our programs will help you explore a variety of contemporary art practices in fun and engaging ways.
Enrolments open Friday 1 September at 9.00am.
Whatever your experience, our courses will help you explore a variety of contemporary art practices in fun and engaging ways.
Please note: To ensure we can continue to provide high quality art courses for the community, many of our prices have increased for this term. Where we can, we've incorporated the cost of materials into the class to reduce additional out of pocket expenses. If you have any concerns or would like to discuss paying in installments, please contact us.
Looking for a fun and creative way to keep your young people entertained during the holidays? Check out our exciting range of creative workshops.
With a variety of workshops to choose from, there's something for everyone to enjoy. We even have a series of workshops for young people and their guardians.
Enrolments are made online via Eventbrite. Bookings are essential to reserve your place in a course as numbers are strictly limited.
The minimum number of students needed for each course to run is six. Please be advised that courses may be cancelled up to 24 hours before they commence where this minimum is not reached. In these circumstances we will endeavor to offer you a place in another class or alternatively offer you refund.
All course prices are inclusive of GST and booking fees. Additional material fees may apply for some courses.
Concession prices are available for:
Concession applies to the parent or guardian of a child enrolled in a children’s course.
Due to illness and unforeseen circumstances, individual classes may be occasionally taught by substitute tutors.
Where a substitute is not available and a class has to be cancelled, you will be contacted via email and by SMS at least 30 minutes prior to class starting. Under these circumstances, a class refund will be offered. Alternatively, an additional class will be added to the term dates, at the discretion of the Art Studio management team.
If you wish to withdraw from a class, we require one week's notice before the start of a course. A cancellation fee of $15 will apply for cancellations made after this.
You will not receive a refund once a course has started for classes you miss for non-attendance.
You may receive a refund for a class missed due to the following:
It is the policy of the Manningham Art Studios to maintain the highest level of confidentiality for student information.
MC2, 687 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster VIC 3108
Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Closed public holidays.
Manningham Art Gallery presents an eclectic and innovative yearly exhibition program, workshops and events committed to supporting local and regional artists, as well as touring shows from across Australia. Manningham Art Gallery is an engaging and creative space welcoming everyone, connecting all ages and backgrounds.
Entry to the Gallery is free.
Open: Wednesday to Saturday, 11.00am to 4.00pm.
Closed: Sunday to Tuesday, and all public holidays including the Easter long weekend.
Manningham Art Gallery, 687 Doncaster Road, Doncaster
Information on our upcoming exhibitions will be listed here shortly.
Subscribe to the Arts Manningham newsletter and follow our Arts Manningham Facebook page for latest news and happenings in the gallery.
The Community Grant program supports and empowers community groups and organisations to deliver programs and activities for our community in Manningham.
We are committed to developing and fostering partnerships with not-for-profit groups and organisations whose work enriches the municipality and is consistent with our vision.
These grants are designed to help property owners with land care education, land stewardship, pest and animal control and ecological improvement works.
At Doncaster Playhouse, you can enjoy one of our many concerts or theatre shows.
Built in 1863, Doncaster Playhouse was the first primary school in the area. It was then refurbished in 1988 as a contemporary theatre and is now home to several community theatre companies.
Contact us to discuss wheelchair accessibility.
Office Hours 9.00am to 5.00pm
Other opening hours by performance.
Hire the Doncaster Playhouse in 2024
Are you a musical or theatre group looking to hire a venue for your show? Apply to be part of Doncaster Playhouse’s 2024 program. Hurry, only a limited number of bookings remain!
Email playhouse@manningham.vic.gov.au or call 9840 9382 to find out more.
Find some of the finest art this state has to offer, all within Manningham. The joy of creation, the play of colour and design, the appeal to your senses, all come together in the vibrant art and culture of Manningham.
Discover the culturally significant Heide Museum of Modern Art, one of Australia’s most important cultural institutions.
Established back in 1934, the history of the Heide MoMA shines through with artists, writers and intellectuals all having called Heide home. Inside Heide, you are spoiled with travelling exhibitions and the gardens are dotted with sculptures and art as well as a working kitchen garden.
Find an eclectic program of contemporary art exhibitions at the Manningham Art Gallery, offering curated exhibitions from local and international artists.
Enjoy classes in creativity, painting, drawing and more, at the Manningham Art Studios and find your own creative side.
The Stonehouse Gallery in Warrandyte is one of the longest established art and craft co-operatives in Australia. Stonehouse was founded in 1972 by eight like-minded potters wanting to promote ceramics. Today it continues with 18 diverse members and invited artists showcasing and selling beautiful ceramics, textiles, woodwork, glass, jewellery and furniture.
Next door to the Stonehouse Gallery is the Warrandyte Historical Society, home to a collection of early white settlement memorabilia. Pop in on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Manningham residents and visitors can enjoy public artwork at various sites across the municipality, with nearly 20 unique works having been commissioned or acquired by Manningham Council in recent decades. These include the iconic 'Gateway' sculptures Sentinel, helmet and River Peel that mark the major entrances to the city.
Find the captivating and artistic side of Manningham.
Manningham residents and visitors can enjoy public artwork at various sites across the municipality, with nearly 20 unique works having been commissioned or acquired by Council in recent decades. These include the iconic 'Gateway' sculptures Sentinel, helmet and River Peel that mark the major entrances to the city.
The city also features numerous works in private settings, including outside Westfield Shopping Centre, Doncaster, and at the celebrated Heide Sculpture Park.
Sentinel was the first of three sculptures commissioned by Manningham Council to mark the major gateways to the city. It stands approximately 13 metres high and weighs 12 tonnes. Created by internationally renowned artist and long-term Manningham resident Inge King, Sentinel was conceived as an icon of the City of Manningham and the sculpture casts a watchful eye over the area. The multicoloured crown is the focal point of the work. Its curved shapes symbolise the two creeks of the municipality, the Mullum Mullum and the Koonung. They enclose the blue oval form representing the City of Manningham.
Manna Gum is inspired by the local eucalypt blossoms and marks the start of the Bolin Bolin Cultural Landscape Trail. This trail passes through an area which was an important gathering place for the local Wurundjeri people due to its seasonal abundance of food. The Wurundjeri frequented the area when the billabongs were low, the eucalypts were flowering and they were able to collect nectar.
Photo: Christopher Sanders.
River Peel draws on the local heritage and surrounding landscape, imitating the Yarra River as it bends and turns through the area. The sculpture also represents the peel of an apple to relate to the history of orcharding in the areas of Doncaster and Templestowe.
Photo: Christopher Sanders.
Spontaneous in form, Deborah Halpern's creatures are produced in a style that recalls visions of Gaudi, Picasso and French sculptor Niki de San Phalle, yet are distinctly 'Halpernesque' in their ability to delight and surprise. Water Creature stands prominently in the forecourt of Manningham City Square accompanied by another work by Deborah Halpern, Big Cat.
Photo: Christopher Sanders.
One of two mosaic sculptures by renowned Melbourne artist Deborah Halpern that bring a splash of colour and fun to the forecourt of Manningham City Square community hub, Doncaster.
Photo: Christopher Sanders.
helmet is inspired by the artist Sidney Nolan’s Kelly series of paintings, created at Heide, in which we see the figure of Ned Kelly riding through the landscape. During a walking tour of ‘Kelly country’ Nolan realised “that the bush and the Kelly helmet belonged together” and helmet is a wonderful interpretation of Nolan’s paintings through a new medium and artistic vision.
Triptych takes the shape of a game or wooden toy or puzzle with pieces that look two dimensional and are brightly coloured. The work is a nostalgic reminder of how toys and games have changed over the last century.
Photo: Christopher Sanders.
The Doncaster Road pedestrian underpass is situated between Doncaster Primary School and Manningham City Square. Artist Warren Langley created the art piece on the walls and ceiling. The design features a striking montage of colour and light and helps to brighten the underground thoroughfare to encourage greater use.
Running/Walking can be viewed during the day or night. The concertina-shaped walls have been fabricated to form a series of copper and glass components. By night, the LED lighting brings the artwork to life. The human figures are representations of actual members of the community that transcend ethnicity and evoke the sense of a progressive, forward moving populace.
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The mighty Yarra River winds its way through Manningham, where walking and cycling trails hug the banks. Get out into the fresh air with those you love and have an adventure beneath the gum trees.
Enjoy jogging and cycling opportunities along our regions trails.
Encounter native flora and fauna on the Mullum Mullum Trail and cross the suspension bridge at Finns Reserve and you may even be lucky enough to spot a platypus in the Yarra. Continue onto the Main Yarra Trail you can ride your bicycle all the way to the city or complete a 42km circuit by joining the Koonung Trail and the Eastlink Trail back to your starting point.
Your four-legged friend can join you on a lead in the outdoors at a range of parks across Manningham. Explore Banksia Park in Bulleen, Stiggants Reserve in Warrandyte, Ruffey Lake Park or Westerfolds Park in Templestowe.
Find adventure at Wombat Bend. The massive adventure playground and maze provides adventures for the whole family. On the banks of the Yarra for that extra special day, it’s dog friendly with outdoor cooking facilities, a fitness station and so much more.
The fenced wonguim wilam is located in Warrandyte and is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. This newly upgraded playspace includes a range of play opportunities to discover as well as a new picnic shelter, barbeque and plenty of furniture and grassy open space to enjoy.
Warrandyte River Reserve is a great place to explore with many activities and places of interest to enjoy. Follow the Yarra River through Stiggants Reserve - it is instantly relaxing and calming and there are colourful artworks to enjoy along the path. Dip your toes in the water, try your hand at fishing or grab a canoe and paddle down the river to Pound Bend Reserve and Warrandyte State Park for a truly unique experience.
Encounter Australian wildlife, with koalas, wombats and kangaroos amongst the mighty gum trees of Currawong Bush Reserve. Native flora in bloom, bright red bottle brushes, sunny yellow wattles, and so much more photogenic subjects for your keen eye. Landscapers, sculptors and artists have helped create a natural play space for kids to explore and immerse themselves in the outside world.
Offering eight different walking trails, you can get out there, explore nature and take a moment to breathe in this escape from the hustle and bustle of city life in this oasis in the heart of the suburbs.
Find your local outdoor adventure in Manningham.
In 2020 we launched the Arts Manningham Fellowship and Artist in Residence program to support local artists research and develop ideas for:
We provide successful applicants funding of up to $6000 over two phases to:
Information about applying for the 2022 Arts Manningham FAIR will be released later in the year.
Lindy Yeates’ Sanctuary Project examined how the restrictions introduced by the state and federal governments to stop the spread of COVID-19 afforded moments of pause and self-reflection that, for many of us with busy lives, are so hard to come by.
Yeates’ project saw her researching opportunities for recreating that sense of pause through discrete art installations that acted as ‘sanctuaries’ from our everyday lives.
Her fellowship focused on translating drawings and prints of natural landscapes in Manningham and along the Victorian coastline into larger scale, immersive works, as well as identifying suitable locations for the works.
Local playwright Michel Paul Tuomy is undertaking a fellowship to develop his play Football Evangelism, with a view to staging performances in 2021.
Set in a local Melbourne football club, the play has two characters: Dave, who is known as ‘The Football Evangelist’, and his friend ‘Mild Mannered Mick’.
Dave is a water runner and had his nickname bestowed upon him by one of the club’s players as he has a devout faith and a passion for football. To add to the story, Dave has autism and his best mate Mick has schizophrenia. But they don’t allow these health conditions get in their way of their mutual love of football.
Denise Keele-bedford’s fellowship aims to extend her Boat Project, which has engaged the subject of migration and travel through installations of multiple origami boats in New York State, China, Korea and Melbourne.
Her fellowship will explore how to translate these forms into a sculpture that can be installed at a number of outdoor sites across Manningham.
The fellowship will provide a stepping-stone for Keele-bedford to work in new formats, with different materials and at a larger scale than she has previously.
We are looking for two emerging mural artists to work with acclaimed First Nation's mural artist Robert Michael Young. Together you will create a ground mural as part of the activation of Templestowe Village Pop-Up Park.
Each artist will deliver a ground mural measuring approximately 4 x 2 metres.
Robert will guide you through the creative process from concept to installation.
Robert’s stunning native animal mural, situated outside the Templestowe branch of Bendigo Bank, will be used to inspire and reflect on cultural modes of storytelling and explore connection to place.
You will support the development and running of a community workshop.
The workshop will engage with Templestowe community members, young people, traders and visitors to the village.
The outcome of this workshop will be a temporary and public community led artwork.
This opportunity is for two Melbourne based emerging artists wishing to gain professional experience in:
Artists must be 18 years or over.
We encourage applications from underrepresented groups including:
Each of the two artists selected for this project will receive the following:
This project is funded by the Victorian Government’s COVID Safe Outdoor Activation Fund.
To apply, please complete the online form below.
Applications close 24 May 2022 at 5:00pm.
Artists must be available onsite for up to 6 days over the proposed project timeframe. This is currently scheduled for June 2022. The project contains flexibility to meet evolving COVID-19 restrictions and dates may change.
Manningham Council is a child safe organisation and applicants are required to hold a valid Working with Children Check.
Artists will need to hold Public Liability Insurance up to $20,000,000 and hold appropriate work cover and personal injury insurance.
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination will also be required.
If you have any enquiries, please contact Manningham Creative Industries Officer, Lucy Beattie Hughes on 9840 9333 or email gallery@manningham.vic.gov.au .
Manningham has more than 100 recreation and sporting clubs. Most sport clubs in Manningham offer both competitive and social sport options.
To find sport or recreational activity and where to play it, use the search box below or browse using the A to Z club listing.
Use the alphabetical listing to find a sports club in Manningham.
Doncaster Little Athletics Centre
Victorian Masters' Athletics Doncaster Venue
Doncaster Templestowe Badminton Association
Bulleen Basketball Club (Bulleen Boomers)
Koonung Comets Basketball Club
Park Orchards Basketball Club (Steelers)
Doncaster Basketball Association
Bulleen Templestowe Cricket Club
Fitzroy Doncaster Cricket Club
Manningham Bicycle Users Group
Beverley Hills Junior Football Club
Bulleen Templestowe Amateur Football Club
Bulleen Templestowe District Junior Football Club
Doncaster Junior Football Club
Park Orchards North Ringwood Parish Junior Football Club
Templestowe Junior Football Club
Warrandyte Junior Football Club
Old Yarra Cobras Football Club
Warrandyte Brownies Girl Guides
Bulleen Templestowe Gymnastics Club
Donvale and Templestowe Pony Club
Doncaster and Districts Netball Association
1st Doncaster East Scout Group
3rd Doncaster East Scout Group
Templestowe Lower 1st Scout Group
Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne
Manningham United Blues Football Club
Wonga Park Wizards Junior Football Club
Doncaster Templestowe Amateur Swimming Club
Doncaster Dolphins Masters Swimming Club
Melbourne Taekwondo Centre Doncaster
Melbourne Taekwondo Centre Warrandyte
Heart Foundation Walking Groups
Heart Foundation walking aims to make regular physical activity enjoyable and easy, especially for people who are not used to be active.
Walking groups can be any size and walk at various times, distances, days and levels of difficulty. Join an already existing group, start your own or become a walking group leader.
Looking to join a walking group or want more information? Reach out to Manningham’s local walking coordinator Leanne de Vos from Access Health and Community on 9810 3000 for more information.
Walking for Pleasure
Social Walking and Lunch Group
Contact our Sport and Recreation officer on 9840 9333 or email recreation2@manningham.vic.gov.au.
This ride explores Ruffey Lake Park and the Ruffey Creek Linear Park.
There is a large sign marking the beginning of the Ruffey Trail at The Boulevarde in Ruffey Lake Park.
From here, a ramp takes the cyclist to an underpass at King Street and again at Williamsons Road.
Follow the Ruffey Trail signage until it finishes at Finns Reserve and joins the Main Yarra Trail.
At Finns Reserve, the Ruffey Trail connects with the following trails:
Main Yarra Trail to Westerfolds Park (northeast) and Southbank (southwest)
Plenty River Trail to Greensborough (Western Ring Road Trail)
Access |
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Distance |
3 kilometres |
Grade |
Easy |
Surface |
Sealed paths with on road sections. Suitable for all bicycle types. |
Eumeralla Avenue is a local road which has no footpath or trail
Use the pedestrian refuge at the Foote Street on-road crossing. The Trail continues a short distance along Mclachlan Street and turn left onto Parker Street
There is an on-road crossing at Parker Street, Templestowe and the Trail picks up again next to the Templestowe Bowling Club carpark
Ruffey Lake Park - Adventure playgrounds, picnic shelters, BBQs, lake and wetlands, toilets and drinking water.
Finns Reserve - Picnic shelter, BBQs, playground, Yarra River access, toilets and drinking water.
Westerfolds Park - BBQs, picnic shelter, wetlands and Yarra River Observation Deck, toilets and drinking water.
Detour to Templestowe Village - cafes, restaurants, supermarket
Have you noticed something unsafe like a broken tree branch or damaged playground that needs our attention?
Some types of events, such as festivals or school's cross country runs need a special permission to be held on public land.
A one-off workshop exploring the use of mixed-media in painting, driven by Gidley's passion for vibrancy and colour in art. Suitable for painters of all ages and abilities.
Presented by the Doncaster Templestowe Artists Society.
Supported by Manningham Council's Community Grants Program.
The Koonung Creek Linear Park follows the course of the Koonung Creek (and the Eastern Freeway) which forms the boundary of Manningham, Whitehorse and some of Boroondara.
The Linear Park is a significant recreation corridor offering opportunities for walking, cycling and dog walking.
The landscape character of the Linear Park offers a mix of natural settings, indigenous bushland and open parkland.
The Linear Park contains the Koonung Trail, a shared path for cyclists and pedestrians which has good connections to on-road paths, and links directly to the Main Yarra Trail and the EastLink Trail.
The Koonung Creek Linear Park is approximately 10 kilometres in length from Thompsons Road, Bulleen to Springvale Road, Donvale.
The Koonung Trail is the main commuter trail between Springvale Road and Burke Road where it joins the Main Yarra Trail.
The Koonung Trail crosses to the south side of the Eastern Freeway at Church Road, Doncaster.
West of Church Road there is the secondary bicycle route on the north side of freeway. Trail markers clearly identify the different routes.
Park Reserve
Katrina Gully Playground, Doncaster
Darvall St, Donvale
Windella Playground, Doncaster
Wilsons Reserve, Doncaster (100m from trail)
Kingsnorth Reserve, Doncaster (150m from trail)
Marshall Reserve, Doncaster (350m from trail)
Koonung Trail joins the Main Yarra Trail at Burke Road, Kew linking it to the City
From Springvale Road the trail follows the EastLink Trail to Frankston
By making use of the above links, the Koonung Trail also connects to Diamond Creek Trail, Brushy Creek Trail, Outer Circle Trail and Plenty River Trail
By 2016, the Mullum Mullum Trail will link the EastLink Trail to the Main Yarra Trail.
Boronia Reserve, Donvale
Leeds Street, Doncaster East
Park Reserve, Doncaster
Koonung Park, Bulleen
Koonung Park, Bulleen
Park and ride on the corner Doncaster Road and Hender Street, Doncaster.
Dogs on lead on the path and within 5 metres of the path
Dogs off lead except within 15 metres of a playground, barbecue or sporting event
Have you noticed something unsafe like a broken tree branch or damaged playground that needs our attention?
Some types of events, such as festivals or school's cross country runs need a special permission to be held on public land.
SkySong is a collection of 500 images put to a series of songs and instrumentals. In effect it is a movie of still images using the Ken Burns effect.
The images [by Bill McAuley] are viewed as they are synchronised with the music. [Also composed by Bill McAuley]
The songs will be accompanied by live musicians and vocalists during the world premiere performance of SkySong at Warrandyte Mechanics Institute Hall. Attendance limited to 100 persons.
Come and Try Karate with The Family Dojo, Doncaster. Classes are led by female instructors.
We'd love our local girls to come try martial arts and find out just how powerful they can be!
Ample parking available onsite. Doncaster Park and Ride is across the road making it easy to get to.
What to wear: active wear and sneakers
What to bring: a water bottle
Registration not required.
All day volleyball session for children aged 10 to 16 years.
Volleyball skills, games and activities.
No prior experience required.
Registrations are essential. Contact Manningham Stadiums on 8841 4555 to secure your spot or to find out more.
Active Manningham will be running a free mat Pilates class.
Focus on improving flexibility, strength, core stability and body awareness. Low impact, repetitive moves for a full body workout.
Due to limited spaces registration is essential.
Join award winning visual artist Bridget Hillebrand and Sonja Ross from BirdLife Melbourne as they share their knowledge and passion for the ecology of the Birraung (Yarra River).
Bridget will reveal insights into the creation of her immersive, site specific installation ‘River’. Sonja will discuss some of the ways we can best support the habitat and needs of Australia’s native birds.
Spaces are limited, please register via Eventbrite.
If you require an Auslan interpreter to attend this event, please let us know by Friday 11 August by calling 9840 9367 or emailing gallery@manningham.vic.gov.au.
The Manningham Victorian Ceramic Art Award supports Victorian studio ceramics and acknowledges the special place ceramics have in the Manningham region.
The biennial acquisitive award and accompanying exhibition celebrates the best in contemporary Victorian ceramic art practice from across the state. Works acquired through the award form part of the Manningham Art Collection and are subsequently displayed in public buildings throughout the municipality, including Manningham Art Gallery exhibitions.
The Manningham Art Collection includes almost 30 ceramic artworks acquired through the Award since 2009, representing some of the best contemporary ceramic work in Victoria.
The award is currently not running, please keep up to date with Arts Manningham news, opportunities, and events via our Facebook page and newsletter.
Title | Description | Year |
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David Ray |
"Within my work I apply critical comment to contemporary consumerism and the less reputable aspects of our national identity through often flamboyant baroque creations. WILD explores the juxtaposition between the perception of the beautiful and the ugly. Decoration is incorporated within the body of the work, weaving, twisting and turning, with a confounding plethora of images, motifs and decals – the ‘glamour of the artificial’ colliding, almost in total meltdown. The hand of the artist is never far from one’s consciousness when viewing my work, which is intentionally imperfect, asymmetrical and sometimes seemingly top heavy. Also lingering in one’s awareness is the nature of ceramics; usually pristinely designed and immaculately fashioned and fragile. These two opposing qualities are a reaction to the overriding influence of machines as opposed to the natural." - David Ray, 2017. |
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Tim Clarkson |
"Some say the world is getting hotter, some say this is due to mankind’s impact upon the earth, yet others refuse to acknowledge that the environment around us is changing and in a rapid way. With more information and knowledge at our fingertips than ever before, why is it that many of us just don’t see the impact our actions are having on the world around us? With each day, we are given the opportunity to do something about it, yet for something so critical to our future survival, there is little being done about it. Since 1992, melting ice from both poles have been responsible for a fifth of the global rise in sea levels, with the polar ice sheets melting faster in the last 20 years than in the last 10,000. The work titled Washed Away looks at how other inhabitants of this world are suffering the consequences of our own actions. Global warming is altering key habitat elements that are critical to wildlife’s survival and putting natural resources in jeopardy. Studies have projected that the Arctic could see its first ice-free summer as soon as 2020." - Tim Clarkson, 2017. |
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Magdalena Dmowska |
"When approached in the round, my ‘still life’ of ceramic forms references domestic objects, architecture and the body, whereas from a distance it references painting. Painting is confined by its frame, or self-contained by its edge as it encounters the wall, while ceramic objects work in the round, hence they frame themselves as the ‘clothing of emptiness’. I want my work to show the special power of ceramic forms through their association with tactility and the familiar, as they create intimacy with the viewer, contrary to the experience of separation associated with painting. My work explores the manipulation of familiar forms in order to move the viewer’s attention towards the metaphysical aspects of ceramic objects soothingness and lastingness, the metaphor for the perceptible representing the immaterial. I want the viewer to think about the inside of the closed forms, to embark on a journey of discovering what is really present in the space – the still life of ceramic forms translated into abstract painting. Beyond the art gallery, ceramic objects are perceived through their socially embedded meaning associated with function. My work demonstrates that ceramic forms can operate as hybrids, referring to the function while completely abandoning it in order to embrace the container as the ‘ultimate form of abstraction’." - Magdalena Dmowska, 2017. |
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Bridget Foley |
"The movement of the glazes and the irregular line that moves around the vessels where the glazes overlap evokes the shifting lines of sand that occur when tides come in and out. I have spent many hours walking along the beaches on the Surf Coast of Victoria. These experiences get expressed in the work I make." - Bridget Foley, 2017. |
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Eva Glac |
"Duality and duplicity, the agony and the ecstasy of reproduction and sexuality. A species may employ illusory tactics for its reproduction and survival. Unwitting suitors and would be predators see what they want to see or are tricked into seeing. However, no human is a tool for someone else’s purpose. They are not owned, exchangeable or reduced to mere flesh. Body parts are beautiful and are not things without personality or dignity. We are slowly adapting to survive the verbal and physical abuse that is the result of objectification. Will we change physically, behaviorally or physiologically? The Eucalyptus flower buds are for your viewing, but do not ever touch the Corymbia ficifolia without my permission." - Eva Glac, 2017. |
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Dean Smith |
"This artwork focuses on the link between the worked ceramic form and the disquieting landscape near my home. The gold-mining activity of the past has left the landscape disordered and jagged. The jagged line is echoed not only in the topography and quartz reefs but in the dry, brittle vegetation - the bare twigs whose reflections are amplified and multiplied in the dams and reservoirs. These observations are worked into my ceramic form as surface markings, through scoring and drawing with enamels and palladium. The landscape has contrasts of light and shade, past and present. The tannin-stained dams, the shadowy pine plantation, unearthed metal relics, scorched white bones and unexplained objects, sounds or past movements. My vessel-like form refers to the randomness and order I see in this particular landscape - the unexpected elements translated through strong contrasts and subtle nuance in the sculptural form." - Dean Smith. |
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John Dermer |
"I have pursued the demanding and often frustrating discipline of salt glazing for almost fifty years. Couple this with my preference for working with porcelain, and the potential complications are amplified. However, this is a conscious choice I make and not some perverse form of self-inflicted pain! After much experimentation with various clay bodies I find that the porcelain provides me with a clean palette and a fine surface which underlays, and integrates with, the materials I apply to react with the salt. For my purposes the clay body is as integral to the form as it is to the nature of the surfaces I seek - it does not remain hidden as with most conventional glazing and firing techniques. I view the salt kiln as an extension of my hands. It is a final tool in the process of making pots. Unlike alternative glazing techniques, salt glazing requires a huge investment in time and money through the construction, maintenance and firing of these dedicated kilns. It is not a ceramic field to be taken lightly. Over the years I have persistently endeavoured to push the boundaries in order to break away from the universally accepted limitations of the salt glazing process. After relentless experimentation and research, many disastrous failures, kiln calamities and some lucky mistakes I have been able to achieve surface textures and colours that are totally unique in the history of salt glazing. However, this pot presents a surface that I have never seen or achieved previously. I also fear I may never again! My aesthetics are a reflection of the traditions and values of the Leach-Hamada movement. I believe in a balanced form, an honesty of process towards materials and a respect for the timelessness of presence. When this pot emerged from the kiln I was both stunned and elated. The proud, organic forms and the subtle nuance of colour and surface texture appear to have been born and not created. They have integrity, beauty and presence. They encourage me to continue to seek the magic pot. A pot that will live far beyond me, but would proudly occupy any place along the historical timeline." - John Dermer. |
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Kate Jones |
"The combination of painted surface and sculptural form creates an ambiguity that questions assumptions about both genres. This allows the work to sit in a liminal space that affords a realm of possibility in which new configurations of ideas and relations can occur." - Kate Jones. |
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Irianna Kanellopoulou |
"My practice is largely involved with the creation of individual ceramic forms that create a narrative and explore issues of identity, (dis)placement, unity and movement. I often utilize collected images and objects of our environment and popular culture to explore the persona and emotional associations with our immediate environment and memories, real and invented. I am interested in using the figure as a cultural object to project a narrative of surreal reality; a super reality. The work is infused with symbolism and it personifies imaginary dialogues, deliberately shifting relationships while drifting in and out of an augmented reality. Different characters and personalities are captured in a fleeting moment to reveal a network of masked identities, fragmented conversations and hidden emotions. Focusing on the micro the work draws our attention to the small details which are often overlooked. This microcosm, at times humorous and bizarre, highlights the transformation and personification of such images as a means of making sense of our surroundings, our environment and ultimately ourselves. Drawing inspiration from 18th century European porcelain, the work fuses the traditional with the modern and utilizes traditional techniques that are rapidly being lost through modernization." - Irianna Kanellopoulou, 2015. |
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Susan Robey |
"As an architect and ceramic artist I use architectural imagery to make ceramic objects that are about the boundaries between one kind of space and another - outside and inside, hollow and solid, open and enclosed. I play with mass and scale in both form and surface texture and make reference to architectural elements such as walls, windows and columns. With soft, flexible cast clay slabs, I draw on my detailed understanding of architectural structures to construct thin walled objects with the lightness of paper but the solidity of buildings. I have adapted builders' techniques to my handbuilding processes including the use of formwork and the application of carpentry joints such as the mitre and the dowel. I use the static and inert in architecture to create the illusion of animation. I want the objects I make to be challenging and ambiguous." - Susan Robey. |
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Prue Venables |
"A search for simple, quiet, innovative forms to be held and used; the translucency of porcelain with light dancing on the sprung tension of a rim, the softly melting body inviting touch; even the frustration of failure - all motivate my work. The procedures and intelligence of making hold my attention. I delight in the relationships that spring and develop between objects as they stand together like elements of musical harmony. From the shadows that form between them to the implied movements across spaces, they dance. An exploration of technical invention with origins in both studio and industrial spheres now enables handles to be fired separately, suspended, to be joined later. Such high risk practice leads to objects that have a sense of impossibility and without the encumbrances of limitations defining them even while they are still an idea. Silver components extend formal possibilities and facilitate the strengthening of joints between sections. The silver material and new techniques has enlivened my understanding of the porcelain I thought I knew so well." - Prue Venables. |
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Petrus Spronk |
"My new series of work is concerned with the magic of the firing process. The throwing of the bowls is the same, though more refined. The burnishing of the bowls is the same, though more refined. The preparation for firing is as it has always been, but more finely skilled. With this work it is the firing process in the wood-fired kiln where the emphasis lies: the enriching of a surface imbued with flame and smoke markings, extracting from the kiln is visual magic, enhancing the work with kiln mysteries, painting the surface of the bowl with a brush loaded with fire and smoke, creating landscape images in its primal form, returning to the source, something raw with something refined, and there lies the necessary tension in the work; the tension which gets the attention." - Petrus Spronk. |
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Alan Constable |
Constable’s sculpture is a lyrical interpretation of a technical instrument and the artist’s finger marks can be seen clearly on the clay surface like traces of humanity. In this way, Alan Constable’s camera can be viewed as an extension of the body as much as a sculptural representation of an object. |
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Neville French |
"My work involves an exploration of elemental porcelain vessels. Through each work, I try to distil an essence of place and evoke notions of quietude and transcendence through the expressive use of glaze and its relationship to form, space and light. The Willandra dry lakes region in southern New South Wales is a World Heritage site of profound significance for its record of geological evolution and human cultural record of earliest Australians. At Lake Mungo the land has been sculpted by climatic changes spanning millennia and the vast basin, silent spaces and ephemeral effects of light, weather and time, inspire my current work. In response to this extraordinary Australian landscape – a place of great spiritual significance – I have gently altered this wheel thrown piece to evoke a poetic sense of the vast topography whilst extending the glaze matrix to achieve subtle shifts in the colour and light on the form." - Neville French. |
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Terunobu Hirata |
"For more than 30 years, I have lived in Australia after leaving my home country, Japan. The life in Australia has always reminded me of my origin as Japanese. My passions have been to express the emotions and feelings I have had through the life in Australia into my work. Also, tasks such as working with clay, throwing on the wheel and firing the kiln give me a sense of satisfaction through interacting with nature. They are a source of my inspiration although they can be distressing at times. I have been fascinated by the ash glaze on dark body. This work gives the feeling of harmony of movement and tranquility. I draw upon the Bizen pottery style from Japan which influences my dark surfaces and undecorated forms. I have been experimenting with various methods to fulfill my passions for pottery. I have been excited and thrilled with what I do as a potter." - Terunobu Hirata. |
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Janetta Kerr-Grant |
"I am interested in how a particular sense of place is conveyed in ceramics. For the past few years I have been drawn to the urban iconography of freeways. My inspiration derives from frequent travel, often at dusk, along the Western Highway. The soft haze of twilight dissolves the heavy traffic, streetlights and road signs into a richer more ambiguous landscape. In this diffuse half-light these ordinary, even banal, vistas are transformed into landscapes of unexpected and fleeting beauty. Working from reference photographs, I use this imagery as the starting point to produce elemental ceramic vessels that explore notions of mood and atmosphere." - Janetta Kerr-Grant. |
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Vanessa Lucas |
"A single smooth dark stone among rough grey rocks on a deserted beach in Tasmania suggested the form of these jugs and the dark satin glaze. The jug series has emerged with variations from the primary immutable form, each descending shape seeming to fall naturally from the largest vessel." - Vanessa Lucas. |
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Tracy Muirhead
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"Utensils have been used by man for millennia. They are useful, practical objects, but the use of tools and utensils is not unique to humans; in fact gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants and birds have been observed using stones, twigs and bone shards to help obtain a desired object or substance. Today, we regard table manners and the ability to wield cutlery as a mark of sophistication.This series of utensils removes all pretension of sophistication in that they are basic, verging on crude, yet as a group, make an elegant statement where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." - Tracy Muirhead. |
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Christopher Headley |
"Forgotten Worlds responds to memory and emotion. The intention of the work is to allow the viewer time to reflect on the past. Guided by the rich assembly of images that create a history - the broken fine china plate, the idealised view of nature and the dream of flight. Such histories are recorded and projected into present time and we connect with them through our emotions - such as melancholy. Melancholy is thus evoked in the context of quiet reflection, evoking memories of both happiness and sadness." - Christopher Headley. |
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Paul Wood |
"I begin new work by gleaning op shops, ebay and second-hand shops for unwanted ceramic objects. These are piled into a kiln and fired. Their shape and glazes melt, warp and fuse together into new forms. I am interested that their previous existence in one’s everyday domestic life to their rejection as non-fashionable ‘clutter’ are given a new life and resurrected into small monuments to their past circumstances. Their new rather wilted form expresses the exhaustion of their previous domestic setting. L.N. Fowler is a re-produced Phrenology head lying on its side on a pile of platters. A glass bowl is melted over its head. The leaf imprint on the melted glass bowl becomes like a textile pattern on a cloth head scarf. Gone is the previous brittle and rigid state of the bowl. Now it is fluid and feels light like a piece of muslin cloth. Tucked inside the Phrenology head’s bust are two miniature figurines. In their earlier context they may have seemed innocent and a little banal. Perhaps they sat on a quiet mantel piece. In their new context there is something a little darker coming into play. Looking closely at these two figurines you notice that the male figure has been beheaded. The Fowlers head, previously used for science and now lying on its side on some platters and clothed in a beautiful scarf also alludes to a more sinister narrative. Perhaps a King or Queen has called for its head to be chopped off and served on a platter!" - Paul Wood |
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Brian Keyte |
Humankind has evolved within the natural world. I reason, therefore, that if one can utilise nature’s design rules then the product will rest easy on the human eye that has evolved with it. As the golden mean or phi seems to be what nature uses, each piece is made with this in mind as a guide to structure, with the plastic nature of the clay and the intended glaze contributing to the final form. I constantly work with the ratios of a form’s elements in mind. Thus much of my work could perhaps be classed as an engineered structure. The calculated rhythm of a wave formed rim, and the careful forming of a bowl shape coming close to perhaps a sine wave, a catenary or parabolic curve. Some may see these forms as clinical in their calculated aesthetic, but they are informed by nature as the mathematics behind them is simply the mathematics that falls out of the natural world when we study it. It is the Cartesian mathematics of Descartes, Newton, Venturi and others who simply observed nature in fine detail and sought to explain it in the language of numbers. With an understanding of these rules and a piece constructed to them, I can then break those rules to move beyond this clinical thoughtful foundation and add creative flair unbounded by them. |
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Robyne Latham
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The mystique of saggar firing is captivating. The process is complex from beginning to end, from wedging the clay to firing the work. It invariably requires the artist to juggle the potential of intuition with the whisper of serendipity. The inevitable and unavoidable flip-side of this magic, due to the very nature of the firing, is the possibility of a disaster. Frequently, one can open the kiln to find hours of work have literally ‘gone up in smoke’. This necessitates the artist to develop a sound and philosophical resilience to the loss of works. Works which do endure a saggar firing however, emit a unique quality, borne of the coalescence of earth, fire, water, air and space. This unique quality can challenge the construct of time. With curiosity one can ask, “Could this work have been created last week or a century ago?” The works, Kick’n Goals and Strange Fruit address timeless themes of the human condition. Both works explore the co-existence of beauty with ugliness, and grace with trauma. On one hand humans can create a sculpture, a garden or a symphony of such beauty, and concurrently such violence and destruction. There exists a synergy between the unique quality of saggar fired work, the intent of challenging the construct of time and the exploration of universal themes. |
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Tina Lee |
"After collecting ceramics for 10 years I have become interested in the ceramic objects that people do not collect. The objects discarded or rejected and existing on the periphery of good taste. My current body of work juxtaposes elements of the highly sought after collectable with elements of the undesirable object relegated to the junk pile. The small ceramic vase in the opportunity shop that no one ever buys has become an object of focus. I decided to call a forlorn, common 1950s vase, Karen. Like the vinyl LP’s of Tijuana Brass, Kamahl and Karen Knowles, she is always available. She is usually two dollars. She is dependable. The slip cast shell that is covered in a dry textured glaze characterizes Karen. She is one of probably thousands cast so many times the relief decoration is hardly legible. In the ceramic world, Karen competes with the handcrafted, the one-off, the authentic, and the unique collectable object. In the hierarchy between the handmade and the slip cast multiple, she remains at the bottom. But that is what is appealing about her. After living with her for a while, her simple ordinariness begins to grow on you. The psychology of the mass produced is comforting to us because it’s everywhere—past and present." - Tina Lee. The Karens' is permanently displayed above the entrance to Manningham Art Gallery. |
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Vipoo Srivilasa |
"Child’s Play is a piece from the series Bloody Bangkok. This series is a response to the red shirt and yellow shirt protests that have occurred in recent years." - Vipoo Srivilasa |
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Michael Doolan |
"My work, inspired by popular culture and finding expression in a 'world of the toy' de- and re-construct childhood imagery. They engage the viewer with this world. Intentionally set up to be viewed through the eyes of an adult while still allowing us to participate childlike, in this 'world of the toy'. My aim is to capture and reveal the invisible, hidden qualities of the miniature. Their featureless countenance employed to subvert “my” subject’s visually-friendly nature. A major feature of these works is their high gloss reflective finish. This mirror-like finish will force the viewer to engage with the work as an active and intimate participator, so they observe themselves as a distorted reflection. There is an intention with this work to question the way we perceive ourselves in the world, in this case, my world of the toy, around them." - Michael Doolan. |
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Tim Clarkson |
"Long intrigued with the art of origami, this work reflects ceramic sculptures based on typical origami forms. The forms are then used as canvases in which current issues that we are facing in the world today are expressed. Whilst researching origami, the crane was used as a starting point. Although this form is one of the most commonly known origami folds in the world, it was the history behind the origami crane that made it the perfect subject matter. The crane is strong, graceful and beautiful, and is a symbol of loyalty and honour. Each year thousands of paper cranes are folded around the world as ways of promoting peace, making friends and also honouring those whose lives were destroyed in the bombing of Hiroshima. By using the ceramic medium, the forms are created and imitate the paper qualities of origami, whilst also giving the work a more permanent existence. From the sharp angular lines to the crisp paper folds, all elements of the paper crane are recreated to symbolise the precision and geometrical forms found in the art of origami. With the use of custom decals, the newspaper print further adds to the illusion of paper. Almost 60 years on we are still faced with the threat of nuclear attacks, with the rise of civil restlessness in the Middle East testifying to this. With reference to the Hiroshima bombing the work connects the past with the future reminding us that history has a way of repeating itself." - Tim Clarkson. |
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Ann-Maree Gentile |
"When I was growing up Manningham was a road, a road that lead to my Nonna and Pop’s, Aunties and Uncles and the Doncaster Baths. Now it’s a municipality. For a very long time Doncaster was my world. I lived there, went to kinder and school there and all my friends did too. The landscape, places and people of Doncaster inhabit many nooks and crannies in the memory section of my brain. I have taken this opportunity to explore some of my childhood memories, there is nothing earth shattering in fact it makes me wonder how some of these memories are so vivid while others have just faded away. Sometimes when we speak of these times people ask how do you remember something so obscure and when they talk I wonder if I was really there. Long live the joy of finding a plastic toy in cereal box and the strange machinations of memory." - Ann-Maree Gentile. |
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Victor Greenaway |
"The strength of my work is in the ability to create spontaneity in each piece during the session on the potter's wheel. As a brush or chisel is the tool of a painter or sculptor, so too is the wheel mine. The dynamics are created through light and shade, modelled through the use of indentations and various surfaces and colours. The translucency of the porcelain contributes to this by passing light through thin linear markings and fine edges. As in a quick sketch or abstraction the outcome relies on experience, intuition and a confidence in technique. Often the result is uncertain and the work lost or discarded but the journey is an exciting one and constantly rewarding. I look for glaze surfaces to enhance the form and lines by creating light and shade, adding dynamic energy to the piece. I often find glossy glazes to be too distracting so tend to select glazes that are more satin or matt. I also produce work that follows the specialist techniques of the black Etruscan bucchero firings. It provides a beautiful and appealing contrast to the high-fired, pure white of the Limoges porcelain." - Victor Greenaway. |
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Wendy Jagger |
"Surrounded by the beautiful and sometimes austere alpine environment of Victoria’s North East, my work is strongly influenced by its seasonal landscapes. Field drawings are developed in the studio in a range of painting media or depicted in translucent porcelain imagery. Working with Southern Ice porcelain, etching the imagery, layer by layer into the thrown walls of the vessel is painstaking and fraught with danger. At any moment, the bone dry clay could shatter, as I rub away at the shellac resist, eroding the surface. Yet it is exciting. It’s like painting with light. It’s like a treasure hunt, as I search for that luminous translucency. It is a quest of passion. Firewheel came about when a shadow play of light cast dancing botanical patterns on the wall one afternoon. Different densities of light passed through the growth of the native shrubs outside the window. Firewheel has been delicately double etched, on the interior and exterior of the form to recreate this shadow play." - Wendy Jagger. |
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Irianna Kanellopoulou |
"In the piece Dreamscape different images of automobiles are fused together to represent the car as an important icon of desire as well as an embodiment of our personas, dreams & sexuality. I use a combination of handbuilding and slipcasting techniques, exploring the sculptural and plastic qualities of clay in a contemporary context. Working with modules and different components allows relationships between forms to develop, investigating the life of an object outside of its initial intent and purpose. I seek to merge traditional hand crafted ceramic techniques with industrial methods and processes to achieve a fusion of techniques. The integration of these contrasting elements is an essential aspect of my artwork and enables me to continue to explore and push the boundaries of my artistic practice." - Irianna Kanellopoulou, 2009. |
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Sally Lee
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Sally uses translucent porcelain for her work as she appreciates its fine texture and the way it provides for the passage of light through the form. She also enjoys the challenge of working with such a technically challenging medium. The technique of combining pattern, colour and design within the body of the vessel itself is her particular enthusiasm. In the union of luminosity, pattern and structure Sally is seeking to create an ideal of beauty inspired by nature. Her soft muted colours and designs take inspiration from anything from a simple rock, flower, a butterfly, fish or feather to the colours and forms of the Australian landscape. The irregular forms reflect the accidental deviations and variations often found in nature. Sally's pieces are exquisitely delicate and are not glazed as she feels that the subtlety of the forms can be better appreciated this way. The vessels are instead simply polished both before and after the final firing. |
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Mary-Lou Pittard |
"Clay allows me to use many processors when forming my work. I enjoy the transformation from the soft pliable state through to the hard durable finish. I often push its bounders to see what I can produce sometimes to no avail but still find myself back the next day exploring again. Once the piece is made its shape often dictates the decorative elements. With every year my decoration seems to become more intricate. My love for food and cooking has always played a big part in my creating process. Ideas in the studio or dishes in the kitchen are inspired by the mood or flavour of the day. Like cooking I start with traditional ingredients but end up with something new and exciting. Mass production never interested me as a student, I never wanted to let go of the imperfections of the hand made object. Years ago I came across an unusual ceramic object in a Regional Gallery. It was titled “Asparagus Dipping Bowl ‘It was made especially for dipping asparagus I loved it. I also have a book on Victorian household goods that is full of obscure and extravagant objects. I enjoy combining elements of a ceramics tradition with my own artistic desires. They play on the functional decorative side, to use or not to use, ‘Breakfast Tray’ is for those lazy mornings to use out on the veranda or enjoyed displayed on the sideboard." - Mary-Lou Pittard. |
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