Pictures 1964

Catalogue / Memoir
Introduction Pictures Objects Animations

PICTURES are both finished and ephemeral works made for animations.

1949----   1950----   1951----   1952----   1953----   1954----   1955----   1956----   1957----   1958----   1959----   1960----   1961----   1962----   1963----   1964----   1965----   1966----   1967----   1968----   1969----   1970----   1971----   1972----   1973----   1974----   1975----   1976----   1977----   1978----   1979----   1980----   1981----   1982----   1983----   1984----   1985----   1986----   1987----   1988----   1989----   1990----   1991----   1992----   1993----   1994----   1995----   1996----   1997----   1998----   1999----   2000----   2001----   2002----   2003----   2004----   2005----   2006----   2007----   2008----   2009----   2010----   2011----   2012----   2013----   2014----   2015----   2016----   2017----   2018----   2019----   2020----   2021----   2022----   2023----   2024----   2025----   2026----  

Spawning

That deep hunger for the moment
which gives birth to the day
must learn patience:
the ambiguous friend who leapt through the window is still wandering about.
He did not put off his shape as he touched the ground.
He has not had time enough to perfect himself...

Colette. Break of Day
1961. p.141 Pub. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, NY

 

Our school maths teacher predicts how many girls in our class will have children.
I join the school photography club and National Gallery Art School Night School.
Fonteyn and Nureyev visit our dance school.
My father takes me to the Melbourne Film Festival and introduces me to Colette.

 

Photo: Hakan Lofhelm? circa 1964

That's me with a charcoal sketch I did at the National Gallery Art School Night School led by John Brack.

I remember the sound and feel of soft charcoal on paper, imagining the bone, muscle and fat beneath skin.

I'm not sure who took the photo. It could be Hakan Lofhelm, or Stephen Reynolds, or someone else from the photography club at school. Maybe my father took it.

 

 

Photo. circa 1964. Meeting Margot Fonteyn in the middle studio, Victorian Ballet Guild.
L-R: Lisa Roberts, Michaela Kirkaldie, Heather Birch, ?, Margot Fonteyn, Christine Kelly, ?, Penny Scott. Victorian Ballet Guild, Melbourne.

 

 

STORY

A heat wave crosses Sydney. With it come memories of long hot summer days at the Victorian Ballet Guild, opposite the Carlton Brewery. Stretching and strengthening our blooming teenage bodies, we grow addicted to beery hops, and our own sweat, aching muscles, blistering toes bleeding in satin pointe shoes. Addicted to the dopamine rush from performing high jumps and pirouettes without falling over, from the dazzling mix of methods: Russian Vaganova, Italian Cecchetti, English Royal Ballet. Seduced by the brew of passion and precision, physics, chemistry and spirit. A natural high.

Surrounded by mirrors, we fail to see our ourselves in this hotbed of vanity, ego, laughter and lust.

In the "Big studio" that doubles as a theatre for staging such works as Swan Lake and Giselle, we practise. We go through our paces at the barre, then into the centre for more daring work in this huge space.

Laurel Martyn and Valerie Grieg are teaching.
Fonteyn and Nureyev are watching.

Suddenly I am asked to stand alone and perform an "Arabesque" (a French ballet term meaning "in Arabic fashion") - the big one, the Arabesque "Penchee" (French for leaning) - standing on one leg, leaning forward with the other leg raised high behind.

Miraculously, I don't fall over.
I feel actually relaxed. And amused that they should ask me, the least dedicated dancer with absolutely no ambition to be a ballerina; I just love dancing, drawing dancers, and learning the history and meanings of the dances.

After class we get dressed and move into the middle studio.

Fonteyn and Nureyev had been invited to share a meal with us. At the other end of the middle of the studio, where the photo was taken of us with Fonteyn, a long table and chairs had been set up like a restaurant.

The photo shows Fonteyn in the centre with everyone looking at her, except for me and another girl whose name I forget. I am looking at Nureyev leaning over the long table, autographing my table napkin. I can't take my eyes off him.

 

 

INTERACTIONS

Photo: Graham Howe.Self with mirror 1964

 

From: GRAHAM HOWE
To: Lisa Roberts
Subject: Photos from 1964 and Other News
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:59:24 -0700

Dear Lisa,

You turned up in my dreams last night, which I took as a sign that I was long overdue in sending you these pictures from my archive... not only the ones you wanted, but a few others that may further jog your memory of our youth, respectfully misspent.

There was certainly a fair amount of vanity and arrogance in our youth. I suppose we simply have to forgive ourselves and hope we've learned a thing or two since then. In any case, thank you for prodding me on this. I look forward to seeing some of these images appear on your biographical website, should you decide to use them. Please feel free to do so.

 

EVENTS

1964: Australia's first topical satirical show, The Mavis Bramstin Show, starring Gordon Chater, Carol Raye and Barry Creyton, produced.

1964: 'The Beatles' toured Australia to scenes of hysterical welcome.

1964: Robert Helpman produced his ballet The Display for the Adelaide Festival.

1964: Oil struck in Bass Strait by Esso-B.H.P. after five years of prospecting. The Bass Strait Oil field proved to be Australia's largest.

The Australian Almanac, Pub. Angus & Robertson 1985

 

 

Written by me, Lisa Roberts/Euphausia superba (Antarctic krill), on

6/12/2025

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