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34. Barker College

End of the Line, 2023

ceramic

 

 

The End of the Line reflects on the history of the No.1 Receiving Station at Rookwood Cemetery. The hand clasps with their symbolic imagery act as a connection to the earth and this location. By holding and releasing the clay, we leave our mark on this world as we pass through.

About the Artist

 

Barker College is located on Dharug Guringai Land in northern Sydney, NSW.

Teachers: Ellen Macdonald, Tim Ryan & Bernie Huang.

Students: Emily Afonso, Cameron Barnett, Heidi Bartlett, Sofie Barwell, Sierra Brataniec-Charlton, Stella Chenu, Alex Chung, David Cornwell, Noah Garin, Seraphina Herwono, Kevin Li, Shawn Liang, Susanah Mead, Dani Mu, Mia Nocom, Hannah Oliver, Charlie Rajadhyaksha, Maya Sofarelli, Anika Stanbury, Caitlin Stoodley, Anneliese The, Sebastien The, Peihe Xu, Tessia Xu and Year 9 Visual Arts classes.

@barkercollege

www.barker.college

 

 

Transcription

Hi, my name is Mia Nocom and my name is Shawn Liang and we are Year 9 students from Barker College, who are part of an after school ceramics class with students from years 7 to 10.

Together with Year 9 Visual Arts students and Junior School students we have created this artwork called End of the Line.

Our ceramic installation is inspired by the history of Rookwood Cemetery and the trains which ran from Mortuary Station, near Central, to the No. 1 receiving station in the Rookwood necropolis.

The construction of No. 1 station began in 1867 and was completed in 1869 and was initially the end of the line.

As Rookwood Cemetery expanded, the line was extended to include three smaller receiving stations. The location of our artwork is approximately where the railway tracks ran beyond No.4 station (opened in 1908) terminating with a siding, the new end of the line.

Trains ceased operation into Rookwood in the 1930’s and the railway totally closed on the 29th December 1948 and the tracks remained till the 1980’s.

In 1957 a fire destroyed the roof of No.1 station and it was sold and reconstructed in Canberra to become the All Saints Anglican Church in Ainslie, another end and a new beginning.

Our artwork is made of hand clasps of clay, each revealing the signature mark mapping the imprint of the maker’s hand.

These individual ceramic pieces represent the ballast that secures the track in position.

The floral motifs on the brightly coloured hand clasps used for the text, reference the colourful floral tributes left at the grave sites.

The black parallel lines represent the railway tracks of the past and are embossed with feathers and crows, an acknowledgement to Rookwood and the wildlife which inhabits this area.

The hand clasps act as a connection to the earth, by holding and releasing the clay we leave our mark on this world as we pass through.