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New Public Art at the Sebastopol Library

04 June 2023

A celebration was held at the Library on Friday 5 May 2023 for the installation of a new artwork – a reproduction of a 1989 painting depicting 19th Century Sebastopol by the late historian Arthur Jenkins.

The original hangs in the Sebastopol Historical Society Museum, which is open by volunteer Society members the first Sunday of each month. Through the Discover Historic Sebastopol project, it was identified as a great piece of work to make more accessible to the broader community.

Both the Sebastopol Public Art and Discover Historic Sebastopol projects are being supported through the Spotlight on Sebastopol program, funded by Regional Development Victoria and managed through the City of Ballarat. The Sebastopol Historical Society and the Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre are partnering to deliver these projects. Whilst the Artwork remains the property of the Neighbourhood Centre, ‘we are delighted that it will be on permanent display at the Sebastopol Library, making it more readily available to the local community’, said Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre Project Coordinator, Kate Owen.

As part of the accompanying information about Jenkins, Sebastopol Historical Society President, Bruce Harris has written: Arthur James Jenkins was born, raised and lived in Sebastopol for his entire life.

He developed a keen interest in local history which led to the publication in 1980 of the “The Golden Chain: A History Of Sebastopol With Special Reference To Mining”, which he co-authored with his brother Evan David Jenkins. It provides an informative view of Sebastopol's golden past and its history from the first days of European settlement

Arthur took up painting at age 60. He painted in the Naive Style, that of an artist with no formal training but one who paints with great depth of feeling and understanding. He painted mainly local mines and buildings from old monochrome images. His thorough research and understanding, combined with use of earthy colours, gave his paintings integrity and life.

Perhaps his most informative, historical work is this large panorama of 19th Century Sebastopol completed in 1989. It depicts in accurate detail early roads, mines, businesses and buildings of the era, providing us with a better understanding and appreciation of the development of the Borough of Sebastopol.

Arthur was President of the Sebastopol Historical Society for many years. Some of his paintings, including this painting, proudly hang, as he would have wished, at the Society`s Museum which is located at his old state school.

The reproduction of Jenkins' painting has been made possible by Sebastopol Historical Society, the Jenkins family, the Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre, the City of Ballarat, and Regional Development Victoria.