Lockhart River Art

DOB: 28/08/1935

Susie Pascoe is one of Lockhart River's respected "Old Girls”. She has participated in several successful solo and group shows, both in Australia and overseas. Susie’s strong love of colour and deep connection with her country near Portland Road is reflected in her exuberant painting. She is the matriarch of a very large family, and, with eleven children and numerous grandchildren, day-to-day life is always a hive of activity. Susie's work was selected by the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair in 2009 to advertise the inaugural event.

Artist Statement:  “We were at Old mission, finished school at 16, that sort of thing. We go to work straight on job, like we work at staff house , doing the cleaning up, learn and help our parents on the hillside garden - looking after sweet potato, corn, pumpkin. Four villages had their own garden, working with that Superintendant. Then I worked at the hospital, helping Father, cooking and washing. My husband, Arthur Pascoe working as a pearl lugger, Old Site with many island people. "Yola " was his boat for the pearling trade and trochus. My maiden name was Susie Ropeyarn. I got engaged then called bans in church for our marriage. We had 6 girls and 4 boys…I looked after my children, and asked my Mum to look after them when I went fishing. Then we moved to New Site ( currently Lockhart River ). They moved us up here, it all depends on airport, when the sea was rough, you couldn't get to the airport. We miss Old Site, we still thinking about 'im. We bin weaving there, Topsy Clarmont, Ruth Clarmont's mother ,was always weaving at New Site.  We made mats at Old Site, we made mats for church, school, for our homes, and for old people to sit under the trees. We started painting …and we love it too…”

Collections: National Gallery of Victoria, the University of Queensland (Brisbane)

Susie's work is available from: Emerge Art Space (Perth), Alcaston Art Gallery (Melbourne), KickArts Contemporary Art (Cairns), Booker-Lowe Gallery Houston (Texas, USA)

The following works (clockwise) are:

“Through The Rocks”, acrylic on canvas; "Along The Coast”, acrylic on linen; “My Place At Portland Rd”, acrylic on canvas; “My Mothers Place”, acrylic on canvas.