Member for Brindabella Joy Burch today dedicated a community park in Pearce in memory of internationally renowned Australian artist Rosalie Gascoigne.
Ms Burch was joined by Mrs Gascoigne’s family and close friends, as well as Member for Molonglo Andrew Barr, to unveil the Rosalie Gascoigne Community Park sign, located at the corner of Anstey and Sheehan streets near where the artist lived from 1969 until her death in 1999.
The idea of Gascoigne Community Park was suggested to Ms Burch while she was doorknocking in Pearce last year, when a resident mentioned the neighbourhood had discussed the proposal over a couple of Christmas parties. Ms Burch then wrote to the Department of Territory and Municipal Services with the suggestion, and she was pleased it had been agreed to.
“It’s great to see a proposal like this coming from the community, and I know from my discussions and consultation with residents that the proposal was very warmly welcome by the neighbourhood,” Ms Burch said.
“It was also a pleasure to meet Mrs Gascoigne’s children and grandchildren today at the unveiling, and to hear them speak about how much she loved living in the area and how honoured she would have been to have the park named in her memory.”
Rosalie Gascoigne was born in New Zealand and came to Canberra in 1943 when she married Ben Gascoigne, an astronomer at Mount Stromlo Observatory. Her work covered many mediums and featured landscapes in and around Canberra. She also collected discarded materials from local roads such as roads signs, wooden boxes, corrugated iron and dried grasses for her art.
Rosalie Gascoigne exhibited her work throughout Australia, Europe, Japan and New Zealand and in 1982 she became the first woman to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale, a major contemporary art event held every two years in Venice.
“Mrs Gascoigne played a key role in the local arts community and made many contributions towards the development of young Canberra artists. It is fitting that she should be remembered through the naming of a community park in Pearce.”
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