Living archive - 2
Peter Wills Yard
WA
11th Sept
As I have
mentioned earlier this Yard looks like a Kabadi-Khanna* or a junkyard but this is actually an archive almost like “Chor-bazzar” of Bombay.
Disclaimer:
When
I say Chor Bazar it doesn’t mean stolen market as it translates. What I mean the
collection has a visual weight, which has content and value and reads the time. In
Bombay I would rate Chor-bazar as the biggest city archive. Most of the things
or articles that come in this bazar are from personal achieves or auctions done
in a very localized way.
I
have already introduced Peter Hill (the man who now owns and lives in the
station masters house)
He
has an eye on preservation and has an understanding to value the History,
which I call a futuristic vision. He has collected all kinds of things
and kept it in his huge yard. Normally he picks up things from people who want
to dispose from their house. He picks them up – and whenever people approach
him for few things they want – he gives them for re-use. So sometime it is also
used like a re-cycling yard. Though as you know the concept of re-use is not at
all common here.
He
is also responsible for the local Laverton Museum The Great Beyond. He also has
a vision for another museum of his collection: old vehicles to milk cans to old
railways stuff to animal carriages…, which he is looking for the right space.
But then in a small town to have two museums is also a huge question. After
visiting his yard I too strongly feel there is a needs of some kind of
structure or safety for these precious history lying in an open air. But the
point is because of the way it is kept there is an organic element to the
display or the installation it has created- it could be seen as a public
installation sculpture of Peter Hill. So I strongly see Peter Hill as a local
social historian, as a local archivist and as an Artist.
Peter
Hill and his family, which is one of the oldest families of the town, have
contributed lots of data and photographs to this museum.
As
I am moving around the town I can see few more house, which has a personal
archive of their own- so I am waiting for the right introduction so that I can
peep into their archives.
*
Yesterday I found – the word “Khanna” is used in Australia, which I
am, sure came from S.Asia. One of the pubs in a nearby town I saw few images of
local Gymkhanna.
Khanna is my first word found which is associated with Urdu – so did
it travel with the British or the Camalees? I am sure it is with the British.
So the list of things I have found are:
1. 5 Afghan
graves
2. The use-age
of word ‘Khanna’
3. A family in
town which has a decent of the camalees: Abdul –who used to run the vegetable
garden in Laverton his daughter died few months ago and her son who died
few weeks ago – so will meet the family later when the right time comes.
4. saw few horses
(Horses also came from India.)
Camel Water can and the Ice cream container from the early 20th century
Iron Camel Saddles
A horse neck stand to pull a cart or a carriage
Perter Hills pets - forgot to ask their name. the day i went poor calf was attacked by few wild dogs.
