Heritage, History And Art Intertwine At City Library

Acclaimed Sunshine Coast artist Simone Eisler is inviting the community to explore a captivating story of family, migration and transformation through her latest public art installation.

Titled How Does Your Garden Grow? the work is on display as of Friday 7^th August, and uses the symbolism of gardens to reflect on heritage, change and the connections that shape our lives across generations.

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Ms Eisler is an artist with a national and international profile whose sculptural, public art and multimedia practice investigates themes of transformation in nature and human society.

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Her work explores ideas of gardens, species evolution and family history, revealing how change occurs through journeying, cross-pollination and adaptation.

Ms Eisler said How Does Your Garden Grow? focused on her own family history and her ancestral connections to Mackay.

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“After doing some research, I discovered my paternal great-great grandfather, Francis (Frank) Henry O’Reilly, had emigrated from Ireland to Mackay around 1870,” Ms Eisler said.

“He became the proprietor of The Working Men’s Store at 8 Sydney Street, which many people would know until recently as The Paper Chain,”  

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“I found that the shop had stunning stained-glass windows, which inspired me to transform this imagery into portals to the past, where insects, birds, flowers and leaves carry stories, maps and memories from other places and times.”

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Ms Eisler’s process involved creating linework imagery based on the actual leadwork of the windows, which she then used to frame her digital photographic design.

The installation continues a body of family history work previously exhibited at the State Library of Queensland and Noosa Regional Gallery.

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Mayor Greg Williamson said the building and its beautiful stained-glass windows represented an important historical part of Mackay’s history.

“This building is one of the oldest surviving structures at this end of Sydney Street, with many destroyed during the 1918 Mackay Cyclone,” Mayor Williamson said.

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“The old timber building, with its verandah over the footpath, and its beautiful stained-glass windows give us a glimpse into what our city looked like during our early days,” he said.

“Ms Eisler’s artwork depicts not only this significant building, but also the journey of the people who have moved here to make the region what it is today.”

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The series combines historical references with contemporary digital photographic collage, creating visually striking works that invite audiences to reflect on family connections, movement and belonging.

Ms Eisler worked with Mackay Regional Council Libraries’ Heritage team at the Dudley Denny City Library to obtain images of Sydney Street and information about her ancestor and his store.

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She also worked with Genealogical Society of Mackay, who by coincidence, were preparing a profile of him for their records.

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Sunshine Coast artist Simone Eisler has explored her Mackay ancestry to create her latest work, How Does Your Garden Grow?, which is on display at the Dudley Denny City Library. Photo supplied by Mackay Regional Council  

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