Mandy Hunniford In Memoriam ProjectionQueenstown 12.10.2012

On October 12, 1912 at the Mt. Lyell Mine in Queenstown, Tasmania, a fire broke out in the timber pumphouse underground. On the surface the fire could have been easily extinguished without endangering any lives but in the confines of the underground mine the smoke, fumes and lack of oxygen were deadly, causing the trapped men to perish. Despite frantic and herioc efforts to save them, 42 men lost their lives.

In 2011 Mandy Hunniford completed a painting, In Memoriam – Mt. Lyell Mine Disaster 1912, as an acknowledgement of those lost lives. The work is used as a epitaph with the victim’s names, ages and places of birth commemorated in gold paint as are the notes sent up from the stranded miners and goodbye notes left for their loved ones. As in all mining tragedies, there is no doubt that a part of everyone was trapped along with the men and In Memoriam – Mt. Lyell Mine Disaster 1912 is a homage to the loss of those 42 sons, husbands and fathers.

Mandy Hunniford In Memoriam – Mt. Lyell Mine Disaster 1912 2011 oil on canvas 137 x 355 cm

In October 2012, the Queenstown community commemorated the centenary of the Mt. Lyell Mine Disaster by combining the anniversary with the Queenstown Heritage & Arts Festival. The town honored the lives of the lost miners and in doing so united the past with the present.

On the eve of the centenary of the mine disaster 12.10.2012, Mandy Hunniford projected an image of her painting In Memoriam – Mt. Lyell Mine Disaster 1912 onto the wall of the Queenstown Galley Museum as part of the Queenstown Heritage & Arts Festival. Chosen for its heritage exterior the Galley Museum also contains original photos and memorabilia from the mine disaster. This projection was then documented as part of Hunniford’s ongoing In Memoriam series.

Mandy Hunniford’s In Memoriam Projection marked the centenary of the mine disaster and is a remembrance of those lost lives. It is a reminder of the great heroism following the disaster which led to a large number of bravery awards. The projection also represents a connection to the West Coast and to its history and landscape.

Mandy Hunniford is a fourth generation from Queenstown. Hunniford’s work interprets the Tasmanian landscape through a narrative of visual images and history to present an inventive demonstration of contemporary painting practice with a historical perspective.

Queenstown Heritage and Arts Festival 2012 Interweave Arts Association West Coast Council Queenstown Handcraft Group Queenstown Galley Museum

Travis Tiddy Todd Wilkin Rod Rainbird

Lusy Productions

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