Even after a century, relatively little is known about these
objects; however, a number of interpretations are valid. The
following are two elucidatory readings by different curators at
the National Gallery of Australia. ‘These chairs were made by
the men of the Aboriginal fishing community of Taree in northern
New South Wales. They are rumoured to be based on the design of
an English verandah chair and this is the wonderful result of
the artisan’s interpretation of the design using local
materials. The Taree fishermen were very talented carpenters.
They made their own boats and also sets of verandah furniture
for the local farmers for extra cash when the fish weren’t
biting. These sets usually included two chairs and a sofa. The
only other set of which we are aware is in the collection of the
Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, and is painted black.’ (Jim Logan,
Everyday Art: Australian Folk Art, 1998, p. 17) The scant
information on the chairs’ provenance reveals that they belonged
to a Mr McInnes from the Dunmore E