Adventures in Acland

Monday, 25 November 2013, 7pm

Just returned from three days at Acland. Acland is/was a small town on the Downs near Oakey, which is under threat from the New Hope open cut coal mine.

Acland has existed happily alongside extensive underground coal mining in the past, but the open cut mine is a different kettle of fish entirely. Most of the properties have been bought up and the houses removed or trashed. Some were even blown up as part of a military exercise. However, one man, Glen Beutel remains, determined to maintain the extensive gardens that his mother Thelma established in the area, which were largely responsible for the recognition of Acland as Queensland’s first Tidiest Town.

Glen was a gracious host amidst the hubbub of an “Historic Acland” event on Saturday, which saw over 100 people come to celebrate Acland’s heritage, gardens and wildlife.

I was particularly interested in drawing some abandoned interiors, though there wasn’t a lot left. First off I drew the Old Uniting Church. The floor was strewn with hundreds of tea candles, perhaps the remains of some obscure satanic ritual.

“Sacred – Candles”

Then off to the old Roberts family house, which had seen better days. A Porsche was still garaged there.

“Profane – Porsche”

As a final drawing for Friday, I couldn’t go past the stark utilitarian ugliness of the Acland Store. The phone doesn’t work.

“3 Pigeons - No Phone”

Saturday saw the bustle of the main event, and after helping the Knitting Nannas Against Gas (I was careful not to fart in their general vicinity) pack up, I headed off to the Number 2 Colliery, obviously photogenic and not to be ignored. A huge complexity of posts and beams and difficult to draw without getting too anal.

“Acland #2 Colliery”

After some coy resistance, Glen succumbed to my requests for a portrait, completed in his garden over a cup of tea, amongst the visiting birds and assorted frogs. The chamferboards of his threatened house form the background.

“Glen Beutel, Last Man Standing”

I had one panel left, and drew this scene when I got up to answer a call of nature at 3 in the morning. Jupiter and the moon were near zenith and the light from the distant mine’s night-time activities framed the glow of the security light in Glen’s house.

“Glen's Home”

I headed back home the next morning after Glen served me a breakfast of toast topped with Jerry Colby-William’s excellent strawberry jam. Thanks again Glen. It was good to get home and have a shower after three days of heat, sweat and dust.