Summary

Tapestry panel titled 'Cavalcade', designed by artist Murray Walker. It is the eighth panel of ten in the Federation Tapestry Suite woven by the Victorian Tapestry Workshop (known as the Australian Tapestry Workshop since 2010), to mark the Centenary of Federation in 2001.

As the title suggests the 'Cavalcade' panel presents an historical procession from before the arrival of Europeans, through various voyages of discovery, the first white settlement of Australia and thence through the nineteenth century, culminating in the political movement towards federation. For this panel the tapestry's designer, Murray Walker, used the contemporary work of cartoonists Bruce Petty and Ron Tandberg, as well as older images drawn from a range of other sources.

Figures included in the procession from upper left to right (bottom) are: Norman Lindsay's caricatures of Mr and Mrs Wowser; figure from Hoyle's print trade advertisement, early 20th century; caricature portraits by Bruce Petty of Nellie Melba, Edmund Barton, Henry Lawson, Henry Parkes and Nellie Stewart; Catherine Spence; Louisa Lawson; Swagman Trademark; photograph of a swagman circa 1901; two figures in possum-skin coats from a painting by William Barak titled 'Dancing scene of figures with boomerangs and people in possum skin cloaks' circa 1880; portrait of John Batman; detail of a photograph of William Buckley; engraving of Tasmanian Aboriginal; satirical engraving about transportation from 18th century by William Heath; portrait of Bungaree by Augustus Earle, circa 1826; portrait of Governor Phillip 1786, by Macbeth-Raeburn; cartoon by Ron Tandberg; sculptural memorial of Captain Cook in Sydney circa 1878.

Murray Walker chose William Buckley, Bungaree, Tommy McRae and William Barak as important examples of men who moved between indigenous and settler communities, pleading for tolerance and acceptance. In the upper area of the panel, Bruce Petty's timeline features a central map of the old world. The people boarding the sailing ship represent convicts, the accompanying soldiers (depicted as the Rum Corps) and free settlers, on their way to Sydney Cove. On the left hand side of the ship under the five stars of the Southern Cross, the disembarking figures represent various aspects of the early settlement of the colony of NSW. Five different timelines are illustrated.

Physical Description

Rectangular tapestry featuring a black line-drawn cartoon in the upper half showing various figures in line representing the history of Australia, including five individual caricature portraits to the left. Across the lower edge are fifteen mainly coloured images of significant Australian characters, both Aboriginal and European. The background of this tapestry is pale yellow.

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