Saturday 5 May 2012

Trammies

The Sulman Prize for subject, genre or mural painting is awarded in conjunction with the Archibald Prize.

I had good reasons to think of Andrew whilst viewing the work in this category as there were two items related to trams.

One was Luke Barker's oil painting 'Once Upon a Time' set in the old Glebe tram sheds in Sydney.

'Once Upon a Time' by Luke Barker

The other was Beppie Hedditch's 'Past Melbourne Icon Remembers' featuring 'trammie' Kevin Tierney.

'Past Melbourne Icon Remembers by Beppie Hellditch


The notes for this work state


My subject is Kevin Tierney. He used to work as a conductor and driver on the Melbourne trams. He belongs to a group of ‘trammies’ as they call themselves who love trams and are trying to bring back the conductors on the Melbourne trams. I know some of the group as I used to work as a counsellor for the tram employees some years ago.
I met Kevin about two years ago at the screening of a film about trams. He had his green uniform on and I asked if I could paint him. He’s one of a kind. He’s a very funny man and he has a wonderful collection of tram memorabilia.

As an uniformed 'trammie' myself I loved both works. I wonder if Andrew knows Kevin?

3 comments:

  1. Never heard of him but I did know a Beppie Hedditch. There would hardly be two people with that name. I think she was a psychologist or similar and perhaps a wearer of sensible shoes. All I can remember about her is she bought a trendy place in St Kilda's Fitzroy Street, but the street noise got to her, so then she bought a place in the old cattle sale yards in Newmarket. She was a friend of....I can't remember now. Long time ago. Maybe a Peter Grey, no Gray. Small world. So she is a painter now. Small world.

    Glebe? Rozelle? Let's just call it Harold Park.

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  2. I just googled her. She is a celebrant now and lives in Kensington, which is probably Newmarket. (I shan't say small world again)

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  3. Did Kevin pass away recently? I seemed to remember a write up about an iconic Melbourne tram driver and recall sitting in a tram driven by the guy when I first came to Melbourne.

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