Longing and Hope

The Old Perth Boys’ School has a long history as a place for education in Western Australia. Classes began in the Old Perth Boys’ School building at 139 St Georges Terrace in May 1900. It later expanded next door to 137 St Georges Terrace when a new building, that became the Perth Technical School, was constructed in 1909-1910.

In the lead-up to the opening of a new dedicated gallery space at John Curtin Gallery on the Bentley campus in 2027, this display of works encourages visitors to engage with Carrolup artworks and gain an insight into the role education, learning and creativity has played in the past, present and future.

This selection of Carrolup artworks and associated engagement activities highlights the continuum of learning across time, generations, places and institutions. It brings together the approaches to learning that guided the development of the Carrolup artworks, with the curatorial work of current Curtin students, as well as creative programs that invite the public to engage in learning.

Guided by the 2026 National Reconciliation Week theme ‘All In’, this selection of Carrolup artworks was brought together by Curtin University Fine Art students Mio Gadon, Brandon Clarke and Ruby Cason. This student-led exhibition titled Longing and Hope celebrates the strength, creativity and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The Curators

“History and truth can be confronting, even painful, yet the acts of acknowledgement, acceptance, and remembrance carry their own form of beauty. As Australians, we must all face up to the dark history of our nation and share the weight and responsibility of reconciliation together. We need to stop being passive spectators, watching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people carry the weight of championing, explaining and acting, and come together, ‘All In’, to reconcile. To look back is not merely an exercise in retrospection; it is a necessary step in understanding the present and shaping more than just the future.”

– Curtin University Fine Art students, Brandon Clarke, Ruby Cason and Mio Gadon

^{Header Image: Working with the Carrolup collection archive. Photo by Sharon Baker.}

^{Image 1: Curtin University Fine Art Students (L-R) Ruby Cason, Brandon Clarke and Mio Gadon. Photo by Sharon Baker.}