TitleShellwork Harbour Bridge with blue velvet, handmade by Aunty Marilyn RussellDate2023About this objectThis shellwork Harbour Bridge was made by La Perouse Aboriginal Elder Aunty Marilyn Russell, an accomplished shellworker and daughter of the late Esme Timbery, who was also a renowned shellworker with works collected by museums across Australia.
Among the shellwork designs, Sydney Harbour Bridge has become one of the most popular ones since the bridge opened in 1932. In her book Botany Bay: Where Histories Meet, historian Dr Maria Nugent noted that earlier shellwork designs, such as basket originally sold to white suburban women, were remodelled to cater for the tourist market. ‘The process of the transformation of shell art from Victorian-era curio to a Sydney souvenir was complete when a shell Sydney Harbour Bridge hit the stalls.’ Fine examples of shellwork Harbour Bridge are found in museum collections across Australia, made by artists including Esme Timbery, Mavis Longbottom and Lola Ryan, in their own distinct styles.
The object forms an interesting comparison with another item in the La Perouse Museum collection – a shellwork Harbour Bridge made by Aunty Marilyn’s mother, Aunty Esme Timbery (Object No. 2023.7).
The production of souvenirs by indigenous women in Sydney dates at least to the late nineteenth century, with documents recording women selling shell baskets at Circular Quay and Botany Bay as early as the 1880s.
With the establishment of La Perouse Aboriginal Reserve in 1895, the production of artefacts became, in the eyes of the missionaries, a means to keep people busy and to exercise control. It is likely that the missionaries influenced the choice of objects that the women were making — the shellwork baby shoes, jewellery boxes and replicas of famous landmarks reflected a Victorian sensibility for craft objects, drawing on shell crafts that were popular in Britain and Australia in the late 19th century, or Victorian era.
While the making of artefacts was considered a means of occupying the Aboriginal people living on the reserve, thus restricting their contact with other Australians, the result was the opposite—the souvenir industry became an important factor in defeating the segregation policy. A weekend outing to ‘the Loop’, as the tram terminal was known, became a fashionable pastime for both local and overseas visitors, especially after 1905 when the area was declared a public recreational space. Families would catch the tram to La Perouse and wander the headland, buying shellwork and other souvenirs to take home with them.
The tourist industry declined at La Perouse in the 1960s when the tram service and tourist ferry ceased operations. At the same time, First Nations souvenir makers had trouble competing with mass-produced items. Object No.2023.5Physical descriptionThe shellwork Harbour Bridge is made of cardboard, and covered with blue velvet, shells and glitter. Rear of the object is plain with no decoration. The two outward-facing sides are decorated by two lines of vertical clamshells. The front face is decorated with a variety of shells with diverse shapes, sizes and colours. The central 'struts' of the bridge are formed by alternating strips of velvet and silver glitter. The top of the structure is decorated with rows of shells of different types. CreatorRussell, MarilynDimensionsH: 20cm
W: 38cm
D: 10cmPlace madeLa Perouse (N.S.W.)MaterialCardboardVelvetShellsSourceLa Perouse MuseumProvenance Prior to 2023 - Made by Aunty Marilyn Russell;
29 March 2023 - Purchased by the La Perouse Museum.Credit linePurchased 2023Acquisition date29 March 2023SubjectsArt, Aboriginal AustralianShellworkAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoplesPeople (Detailed entries)Russell, MarilynOrganisations (Detailed entries)La Perouse Museum (La Perouse, N.S.W.)ThemesFirst Nations
Russell, Marilyn, Shellwork Harbour Bridge with blue velvet, handmade by Aunty Marilyn Russell (2023). Randwick City Council, accessed 06/06/2026, https://ourstory.randwick.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/8613
