It’s always a treat when the walls of Red Kangaroo Books are filled not only with the smell of new books, but with the buzz of art lovers, community members and supporters of First Nations storytelling.
On Saturday, October 26, we had the honour of hosting the launch of All My Country: The Batchelor Institute Art Collection, bringing together art enthusiasts and cultural advocates to celebrate this collection. With editors Dr Ngatkali Wendy Ludwig and Maurice O’Riordan in the spotlight, the launch was an all-around inspiring event that helped deepen our understanding of the Batchelor Institute’s rich artistic heritage and its connections to Country.
As a bookstore that proudly supports and champions the arts, especially projects that invest in Indigenous stories and heritage, this launch was a powerful reminder of the role that storytelling plays in honouring culture and connecting communities.
About All My Country
[Pictured] Dr Wendy Ludwig, Maurice O’Riordan and Charlee-Anne Ah Chee, assisting in the photographing
of artwork as part of the All my Country production, Desert Peoples Centre, Alice Springs 2022;
photo: George Fragopoulos
All My Country is a groundbreaking book and the first comprehensive publication on the Batchelor Institute (BIITE) Art Collection, which has evolved over decades into a vibrant cultural resource. The collection includes around 1,000 artworks primarily by Indigenous artists from the Top End, along with contributions from Indigenous artists across Australia, Papua New Guinea, and a few non-Indigenous artists with BIITE affiliations. Originally started to make BIITE’s campus more welcoming for students, this collection has since become a cornerstone of the institute, now supported by an advisory committee, curatorial roles and an artist residency program. The book’s title, All My Country , reflects Dr Ludwig’s vision of honouring the artists’ deep-rooted connections to Country and their cultural heritage.
Published to celebrate BIITE’s 50th anniversary , All My Country includes essays from respected writers Gary Lee, Chips Mackinolty, Pat Torres, Joanna Barrkman, and Maurice O’Riordan. In addition to cataloguing the entire collection, the book features highlights under thematic sections like “More than mermaids,” “Bush Toys,” and “Celebrating Art, Language, and Medicine at Utopia.” The project was supported by the Australian Government through Creative Australia , marking a significant investment in the arts and Indigenous storytelling.
Q& A with Maurice O'Riordan
[Pictured] Maurice O'Riordan and Dr Wendy Ludwig at the launch instore at Red Kangaroo Books
What inspired you to create All My Country ?
There had never been a substantive publication on the Batchelor Institute Art Collection, so we wanted to redress this—to put the Collection more squarely on the record, generate greater awareness of this significant cultural asset, and also place it more firmly within a scholarly and critical context.
Can you tell us a bit about the book and what readers can expect?
The book has been described as a kind of 'coffee table' publication, which I suppose means it has a lot of pictures ... and it does, around 300 images of works from the Collection. But it also has a fair amount of text without detracting from its image-richness. The text is accessible but also critical; for example, the commissioned writers are well-regarded as writers and curators, each with a good affinity with the Collection and the work it represents. I think readers can expect a good-quality publication overall, which will hopefully leave them in no doubt as to the significance and uniqueness of the Batchelor Institute Art Collection.
What was your favourite part of the editing process for this book? Did you encounter any unexpected challenges?
For me, the most satisfying part is when the book is in the layout/design phase. It can be an intensive and time-pressured process, as this is when gaps and oversights become most evident, but it's also affirming, as at this point the book is well on its way. Initially, I was going to handle the layout/design but realised it would be too much to juggle, and we're so grateful that Therese Ritchie stepped in as designer, bringing a steady and seasoned eye to this role. I don’t think there were any unexpected challenges as such; the challenges we encountered were all expected.
How does All My Country reflect the Collection and BIITE?
The book strongly reflects the Collection, and the Collection, in turn, reflects BIITE (Batchelor Institute), which made it a highly apt book to launch as part of BIITE's 50th anniversary celebrations in 2024. The history of the Collection ties in so well with the Institute's history, and the fundamental character of the Collection likewise reflects the Institute's character and ethos. A handy feature of the book is its inclusion of the complete catalogue of the Collection to date, which makes it a good resource for curators and researchers, particularly since the scope of the Collection is so little known outside of BIITE. It's a bit dispiriting when you see the CVs of artists who have work in the Collection and mention is made in the CV of their inclusion in public collections, but rarely, if ever, is their BIITE Collection affiliation noted. Hopefully, the publication, with its complete catalogue, will rectify this over time.
What message or feeling do you hope readers take away from All My Country ?
I hope readers gain a heightened awareness of the BIITE Art Collection as a noteworthy and significant collection, along with the understanding that art—works of art—can be appreciated as forums of knowledge, and that art-making and the research around it is valued as vital knowledge in its own right. With All My Country, it's also the hope that readers will be receptive to the spiritual and political dimensions of Indigenous Australian art, which I think is facilitated by the book's key essays.
Are there any fun or interesting behind-the-scenes facts or stories about the book’s creation that you’d like to share?
We had initially planned a section profiling BIITE staff members related to particular works in the Collection through kinship connections or other associations, but we ran out of time and space to include this. The dillybag featured on the book's inside front/back cover was an interesting addition. This work (unattributed) came to our attention sort of by chance and just at the right time. Towards the end of the book's layout, we were searching for the perfect work to feature on the inside front/back cover, in line with a book-as-weaving metaphor. It’s unfortunate that the maker of this work is unknown, but there are quite a few other works in the Collection by 'artists unknown', which we wanted the publication to be upfront about, to encourage future research and enquiry.
