Press Centre

MEDIA RELEASE DR DAVID KEMP, MP Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs

14th June 2001

GOLDEN BRUSHSTROKES RELEASED IN BALLARAT

School students can now learn more about our vital democratic heritage through the study of Australian art, according to Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Dr David Kemp.

Dr Kemp was in Ballarat, Victoria, to launch Artists of the Goldfields, which features the work of Eugene von Guerard and David Davies on the website In the Artist's Footsteps.

The artists' work provides a unique commentary on the City of Ballarat and life as it was on the Australian goldfields.

"Australia's artists have a proud record of presenting a history of our nation through their work - and will go on providing a commentary and preserving our heritage on canvas," said Dr Kemp.

"This new project will encourage students to research and promote local artists and to create a virtual school gallery by displaying their work on the Internet, linking it to the In the Artist's Footsteps website.

"This new educational resource will encourage students to develop a national body of students' work and will further expose students to both art and history," said Dr Kemp.

The In the Artist's Footsteps website is linked to the Government's Discovering Democracy programme, which is available in schools throughout Australia.

Discovering Democracy is a national civics and citizenship education programme, which encourages students to learn about, participate in and value Australia's democratic way of life.

"Discovering Democracy helps our young people to find out about Australia's democratic history, how Government works and the principles that are behind our democratic way of life," said Dr Kemp.

The Howard Government's support for civics and citizenship education in schools received a further boost last year with $13.4 million in additional funding through to 2004.

For further information on In the Artist's Footsteps visit the website www.artistsfootsteps.com

Media Contact:
Catherine Job (02) 6277 7460 or 0408 648 400

Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 Australia
Tel: (02) 6277 7460 Fax: (02) 6273 4116
Internet: http://www.detya.gov.au

Left: Arthur Streeton - Above Us The Great Grave Sky, 1890
Collection: National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.