TitleOil painting, 1960s Beach Time at La Perouse, Craig ShepherdDate2022About this objectCreated by La Perouse-based Aboriginal artist Craig Shepherd, this painting depicts La Perouse Headland including the Frenchman's Beach, inspired by a historic black-and-white photograph taken in the 1960s.
‘1960s Beach Time at La Perouse is a painting from stories that were told by my mother Cheryl, my aunt Clara, and uncle Jim Shepherd. Uncle Jim Shepherd is my mum’s younger brother. They would talk about times when they were kids and would go with their cousins to the wharf at La Perouse. Mum would talk about when tourists would come to the La Perouse wharf and throw coins into the water. Mum and the other kids would dive into the water to look for the coins and try to find enough to buy themselves some hot chips from the Paragon restaurant and other take-away shops nearby.’ – Craig Shepherd Object No.2023.2Physical descriptionThe painting presents a view of the La Perouse Headland from a vantage point near Yarra Bay. The Cable Station building – now the La Perouse Museum – was, at the time when the photo was taken (on which the painting is based), the Salvation army’s Refuge for Women and Children.
The works features notable details such as the Macquarie Watchtower, partially obscured behind a pine tree, the Lapérouse Monument, and the former living quarters for the Cable Station staff, a structure that no longer existed. Figures are depicted swimming and relaxing on the beach, with boatsheds lining the shore. Adjacent to the beach are the Paragon Restaurant and ferry wharf, both of which were destroyed in a storm in May 1974. In the foreground, a woman with three children is seem walking towards the beach. The painting is unframed with canvas stretched onto timber mount. CreatorShepherd, CraigInscriptions & marks'1960s Beach Time at La Perouse. By Craig Shepherd 2022' in black paint on bottom right DimensionsH:
W: Place madeLa Perouse (N.S.W.)MaterialOil on canvasTimberSourceLa Perouse MuseumProvenance 2022 - Painted by Craig Shepherd;
7 March 2023 - Donated by the artist at the conclusion of his curated solo show at La Perouse Museum Community Galleries, 28 Oct 2022–5 March 2023.Credit lineGift of Craig Shepherd, 2023Acquisition date7 March 2023SubjectsArt, Aboriginal AustralianAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoplesOrganisations (Detailed entries)La Perouse Museum (La Perouse, N.S.W.)CategoryMuseum | First NationsThemesFirst Nations
Shepherd, Craig, Oil painting, 1960s Beach Time at La Perouse, Craig Shepherd (2022). Randwick City Council, accessed 19/01/2026, https://ourstory.randwick.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/8609
