A new production is set to uncover the long-forgotten story of one of the South-West’s first chroniclers at Christ’s Church on Saturday February 18.
Wollaston: A Man and a Mission tells the story of one of the first Anglican chaplains to land in Western Australia – landing in Fremantle in 1841 – and his struggle to set up the Church of England in WA.
The story, which has been adapted from John Wollaston’s original diaries and dispatches back to The U.K by playwright Norm Flynn, is a roller-coaster of a story: it details the dismay felt by Wollaston when he arrived in Australind, only to find the settlement on the verge of collapse, and his almost obsessive attempts to establish himself and his parish in the wild country of 19th century Australia.
“He was a very astute sort of observer,” Mr Flynn said.
“He recorded basically everything he saw. He was a pretty tough customer, too, but he didn’t mind mixing with people. If he disagreed with you, he didn’t hold anything back.”
But Wollaston’s beliefs were just one aspect of this multifaceted character: he was also an artist, and his work has gone a long way in inspiring both Mr Flynn and the cast and giving them a direction as to what Wollaston might have been feeling at the time.
“He was a very good artist, he made some very good stuff that’s not very well known, considering he’s more known for his writing,” Mr Flynn said.
“But what he drew was form the same source as what he wrote. He poured a lot of detail time into his work, you can really tell he took pride in it. He was particularly fond of the tuart trees down south, they’re a big part of his writing.”
The show includes a display of this artwork, which gives a broader picture of the man.
“The paintings are really popular, and a lot of people have been surprised, they didn’t know he painted so much,” Mr Flynn said.
The work itself has been adapted from two diaries – the Picton Diary and the Albany Diary – which were recently republished by University Press, in three volumes.
Mr Flynn said the diaries unveil much more than just the life of one man.
“These diaries, they’re a snapshot of our colonial history,” Mr Flynn said.
“And we all know that there was some great achievements, as well as tragedies. It was a harsh country, and there was a lot of danger, but a lot of achievment too. I think Wollaston did a great job of capturing that.”
Wollaston – A Man and A Mission plays at Christ’s Church Anglican Church in central Mandurah on Saturday February 18 from 2pm.
Tickets are $25 or $20 concession and are available from the Christ’s Church Bookshop.
