Course Summary
The course will explore White Australian society, as revealed through art and literature, during the decades between the Gold Rush of the 1850s and the outbreak of war in 1914. This is a period characterised by a desire to celebrate the continent’s uniqueness, but one in which the emergence of a distinctive national vision and voice is tempered by European models and challenged by Imperial pressures.
Dr Richard Stone has long been intrigued by history and fascinated by human creativity. An extended period of tertiary study produced a Degree in Art History and Music along with Diplomas in Art and Design and in Education, followed by a satisfying 30-year career as a teacher and lecturer in independent schools. Throughout his teaching career, Richard also practised as a painter and photographer and satisfied an urge to travel by developing a program of European study tours. Since the mid-90s, Richard has accompanied more than 20 groups of secondary students and adults to various destinations in search of cultural enlightenment. Richard has been teaching at the CAE since 2016, sharing his enthusiasm for history, literature and the arts through a range of talks.