Mbantua's Darwin Gallery

Our Darwin Gallery. Some readers will know of it, many won’t. For those who don’t know where Darwin is, get yourself an atlas, and you’ll can learn a bit about Australia. It’s about 1500kms directly north of Alice Springs and has a total population of approximately 150,000 people. Really the gateway from Asia. Plenty of crocodiles
and great fishing. I personally love it.

Anyway, we’ve had a beautiful, large gallery up there for the past two years. It’s been situated underneath the Holiday Inn (Old Beaufort), but unfortunately, foot traffic past our doors has really been minimal, so reluctantly we have decided to move.

As of April 1st (no joke!) we will be operating from Lot 2/32 in the Darwin Mall. We have down sized to a long skinny premise, about 240 square metres in size. Plenty of wall space to exhibit our beautiful paintings. Our manager, Dragica Hosking, is really excited by the move, as I am too - and our other staff here in Alice. And we’ve had plenty of positive feedback from our Darwin customers who really wanted us to stay up there. And that has been a really nice feeling to know that we’re wanted!

I do have some sad feelings about leaving the Holiday Inn because the Gallery truly was beautiful. Also, you couldn’t meet a nicer person than the hotel owner - Lloyd Berger, who was originally responsible in talking us into locating in Darwin. So I’m sad for Lloyd too.

Now, if you happen to be in Darwin, please seek us out in the Mall. Great coffee directly across from our premises, and Paspaley Pearls diagonally across from us! Information Bureau 100 metres away, and Parliament House just a further 300 or 400 away!

I really hope to get up to Darwin a little more often, because I simply love the place. I actually lived there for a total of around five years, divided into two occasions 75/76 and then again in 79/80 and 81. And as I’ve gotten older (55!) I want to be able to experience the place more socially versus “just work”. Also I have developed a real passion for fishing! And there is great charter fishing up there! (If there are any readers who want to know more about this, then please ask me and I’ll steer you in the right direction!) And by the way, mid April I’m having ten days off with Lyall (my 2IC and Accountant for twenty years), plus my long time friend and maintenance manager, Cheyne Southam, and heading up to Bynoe Harbour (west of Darwin) on a fishing trip. If you’re interested in the results please email me and hopefully I’ll make you jealous!) Our wives have all given us leave passes – aren’t they something special!