Mollie Edgecombe, Study of two heads.

From 30 November, local artist Mollie Edgecombe will be in residence at MJAC exhibiting a range of artworks including portraiture, landscapes and signwriting created over a 60-year period.

Join Mollie as she shares her artistic journey, stories about growing up on her family vineyard, Edgecombe Brothers, in Swan Valley, and her continued passion for environmental advocacy, particularly in preserving the natural environment and unique character of Swan Valley.

Biography:

Mollie Edgecombe was born in 1933 and grew up on the Edgecombe Brothers property, located at the corner of West Swan Road and Gnangara Road in the Swan Valley. She enjoyed living on the vineyard with her siblings and lots of aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins.

She attended West Swan Primary School before moving on to Perth College in Mt Lawley, where she discovered her passion for art, after an Art Teacher noticed her talent. After completing her education, Mollie enrolled at Perth Technical College for a year. Eager to pursue her artistic ambitions, she sought evening work as an usherette to support her studies. However, her mother dissuaded her from this plan, steering Mollie in the direction of earning a wage.

In 1960, Mollie welcomed her daughter, Elisa. With a desire to further her artistic skills, when Elisa was in primary school, she began attending art classes in central Perth guided by the esteemed Polish art teacher Henry Froudist. Over three years, Mollie honed her craft, developing a particular interest in portraiture. At this time, Mollie and Elisa were living in Herne Hill which features in her paintings and drawings. In 1969, Mollie showcased her work in a joint exhibition of charcoal landscape works at Boans Fashion Hall in Perth, alongside fellow Swan Valley artist Betty Barrett-Lennard.

In 2000, Mollie gained national recognition when her face was featured in the "Faces of Australia" stamp collection. Photographer Katie described Mollie as an "honest Aussie battler" and "the best mate anyone could have." The accompanying text noted her upbringing as a "depression baby," living in a home in the Swan Valley without running water or electricity, highlighting her resilience.

Mollie has always been passionate about the natural world and co-authored two books: The Vanishing Heritage of the Swan Valley (2000) with Janette Gathe and Bevan Carter; and Robert Brown, Botanist with Matthew Flinders (2001) featuring flora from Albany area.

Her commitment to preserving the environment is also evident in her tireless work to save the lake on the Edgecombe Brothers property, now known as Lake Yakine, which means "Turtle dreaming" in Noongar language. Mollie designed labels for the winery’s bottles featuring this turtle and created the landmark sculpture "The Big Bunch of Grapes" for the café on the family property.

Today, Mollie resides in Forrestfield, where she finds joy in her garden, her personal haven. Throughout her life, she has remained a devoted supporter of her large family and the Edgecombe Brothers property and has left a lasting impact on her community through her art and environmental advocacy.

Previous image: Mollie Edgecombe, The bookworm (detail), c 1960.