My proposal for the six-month’s residency was to write a play about the life and work of Newcastle convict artist Joseph Lycett (1774-1828) exploring his relationships with the Newcastle Commandant Captain James Wallis, but also with the local Awabakal people.
The Reading Room at the library was an ideal environment in which to discover the colonial context to Lycett’s life but also many of the hidden gems and rare books in the archives. It’s a place of great respect for archived material. For example, when shown a copy of the famous 1821 Wallis Book, which rested on a pillow, I wore blue nitrile gloves.
The selection of books consulted on Lycett includes: Joseph Lycett Convict Artist, John McPhee, 2006, Joseph Lycett : Governor Macquarie’s convict artist by John Turner, 1997, The Skottowe Manuscript, by Thomas Skottowe, 1813, reprinted 1988, and True Light and Shade: an Aboriginal Perspective of Joseph Lycett’s Art by John Maynard, 2014.
I’ve also enjoyed reading the convict memoirs of James Hardy Vaux – written here in Newcastle in about 1819. At the back of the memoir, there’s a detailed glossary of the thieves cant or “Flash” language (forged in the London “Flash houses” – which were criminal pubs with their own codes!) and deployed by the convicts.
The research phase also involved travelling to the State Library in Sydney to talk to Richard Neville about Lycett and to view Corroboree at Newcastle, 1818 in their gallery collection. I’ve met with Shane Frost here in Newcastle to gain insights into his interpretations of Lycett’s work from the Awabakal perspective. I travelled to Killcare on the Central Coast to meet with art curator John McPhee who was generous with his time and talked in depth about his Lycett book. I also met with Professor John Maynard here at the library to talk about his book on Lycett’s Art and to gain further insights into the Awabakal perspective.
Eventually, with such great guidance and help, the writing process evolved and soon I was drafting and redrafting The Reformation of Joseph Lycett. Over thirteen scenes, the play charts the “reformation” of Lycett. The convict artist meets Awabakal leader Burigon who enables him access to the local Awabakal Community where he paints some of his iconic paintings. Lycett encounters Beth, a convict woman, who cuts through his pretensions in “Flash cant” – the convict lingo of the period. All of the characters have their secrets. This is a story about a liar and con man who told the truth in his art.
The play development culminated in a workshop presentation which took place in the Brennan Room on November 6th at 4PM with an excellent local cast: Derek Fisher as Joseph Lycett, Samantha Lambert as Beth Kettle, Richard Murray as Captain James Wallis and Jeffrey Cutts as Burigon, the Awabakal leader.
Stray Dogs theatre will produce the Lycett play at some stage either next year or the year after – after some further dramaturgy and development.
I’d like to thank everyone at the Special Collections for their help, warmth, collegiality and guidance throughout the residency and also Mandy Kelly at Wollotuka for advice on approaching Awabakal representation, and finally I acknowledge the Vera Deacon Regional History Fund for this excellent opportunity.
Carl Caulfield
University of Newcastle Library’s Creative in Residence 2024
21/11/2024
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