Founded in 2008 on Wadawurrung land in Ballarat, Victoria by Jane Lewis, Raintree Art operates this website, and we also welcome national and international visitors to our popular Australian Aboriginal Art gallery, retail and event space, located just over 100kms north- west of Melbourne, Australia.
Raintree Art acknowledge the Wadawurrung people as the Traditional Custodians of the land where Raintree Art operates. We recognise their continuing connection to Country and community and pay our respects to the Wadawurrung Elders, past, present, and emerging.
The name – Raintree Art – has a compelling history in the Australian Aboriginal Art movement, having originated in 1986 when the late Aunty Shirley Collins (26 August 1938–19 July 2022) established her own Raintree Aboriginal Fine Art Gallery, which would become the first Indigenous-owned and operated Aboriginal Art Gallery in the Northern Territory. Shirley forged a transcendent international pathway for Indigenous Art and fashion.
Born in Darwin in 1938, Aunty Shirley’s early life was shaped by the Northern Territory’s World War II history. Evacuated from Darwin with her family just prior to the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, they did not return until 1948. Growing up in post-WWII Darwin was a happy period in Shirley’s life, but tragedy struck in 1953 when her mother, Bridget, died, and her family had to fight the authorities to remain together.
Soon after leaving school to work at the Northern Territory News, Shirley met Don Collins, and they were married in 1956. In 1974, in the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy, Ms Dorothy Bennett invited Shirley to manage the Commonwealth-owned Arnhem Land Aboriginal Art Gallery where they forged a formidable working partnership from 1974–1986.
Aunty Shirley’s place in the history of Aboriginal Art in the Northern Territory as an entrepreneur and advocate is assured – and her story is integral to the history of Australian Aboriginal Art and Australia’s national heritage.
As Jane Lewis recalls; “I first met Aunty Shirley in 2001 when I was living in Darwin and selling postcards. Over the years, Shirley and I became good friends, and I ended up working with her in 2005 until the gallery closed. I was pregnant when I finished with Shirley, and just before my son turned two, we decided to move to Ballarat to be closer to family. Shirley wanted to know what I would be doing with my time. I suggested that would be a lady of leisure and she wasn’t amused! Before I knew it, Shirley was collecting Australian Aboriginal Art in Darwin, and I was selling it over the internet.”
“In 2008, Shirley gifted me the name Raintree Art and her logo to continue her dream of an Aboriginal Art gallery, and she continued to work with me in an advisory role until she sadly passed away in 2022.
“As my son has grown, so has Raintree Art. What began as a part time job, has become an all-consuming passion for me, and we are now open six days a week and send our beautiful paintings and giftware to their new homes all over the world.”
Born in Darwin in 1938, Aunty Shirley’s early life was shaped by the Northern Territory’s World War II history. Evacuated from Darwin with her family just prior to the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, they did not return until 1948. Growing up in post-WWII Darwin was a happy period in Shirley’s life, but tragedy struck in 1953 when her mother, Bridget, died, and her family had to fight the authorities to remain together.
Soon after leaving school to work at the Northern Territory News, Shirley met Don Collins, and they were married in 1956. In 1974, in the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy, Ms Dorothy Bennett invited Shirley to manage the Commonwealth-owned Arnhem Land Aboriginal Art Gallery where they forged a formidable working partnership from 1974–1986.
Aunty Shirley’s place in the history of Aboriginal Art in the Northern Territory as an entrepreneur and advocate is assured – and her story is integral to the history of Australian Aboriginal Art and Australia’s national heritage.
As Jane Lewis recalls; “I first met Aunty Shirley in 2001 when I was living in Darwin and selling postcards. Over the years, Shirley and I became good friends, and I ended up working with her in 2005 until the gallery closed. I was pregnant when I finished with Shirley, and just before my son turned two, we decided to move to Ballarat to be closer to family. Shirley wanted to know what I would be doing with my time. I suggested that would be a lady of leisure and she wasn’t amused! Before I knew it, Shirley was collecting Australian Aboriginal Art in Darwin, and I was selling it over the internet.”
“In 2008, Shirley gifted me the name Raintree Art and her logo to continue her dream of an Aboriginal Art gallery, and she continued to work with me in an advisory role until she sadly passed away in 2022.
“As my son has grown, so has Raintree Art. What began as a part time job, has become an all-consuming passion for me, and we are now open six days a week and send our beautiful paintings and giftware to their new homes all over the world.”
Shirley Collins: My Country, My Life by Shirley Collins with Deborah Bisa and Matthew Stephen is available from Raintree Art here. RRP $49.95 + P&H.
Shirley Collins started Raintree Fine Art Gallery in Darwin in 1986. I am proud to be the custodian of the name Raintree, gifted to me by Shirley in 2008. I hope I do you proud
In Ballarat for the BOAA exhibition Barbara (first time on a plane) Louise, Lanita and Sharon.
We had a painting space in Darwin where the artists came and painted.
2020 - Raintree Art was delighted to be apart of Louise Numina getting an interview with the Australian Women’s Weekly. The interview was in Brisbane in February 2020 about a month before the world went mad. Aunty Shirley and Louise flew in from Darwin and Jane flew up from Ballarat. Louise was interviewed at Pia du Pradal Fashion Designs and we had lunch with Dame Quentin Bryce. A fantastic couple of days. The finished article was in the June edition.
We have met Quentin on two occasions. In 2019 Louise painted for her and then again in 2020 for the Australian Women's Weekly interview.