Australia ICOMOS, the cultural heritage professionals, celebrated its 50th anniversary in Burra South Australia , May 1-3 2026. ‘Since 1977 Australia ICOMOS has been committed to improving conservation philosophy and practice for culturally significant places’. The backdrop for the conference was the world heritage listing bid for Burra and Moonta: Australian Cornish mining sites. As the cartoons show, this was but one of a wide range of issues covered by a dynamic group.
And more …
In 1984 the Victorian Council of Social Service published Yoland Wadsworth’s Do It Yourself Social Research. as the back cover of the second edition said: “This introduction to social research methods became a runaway bestseller when it was first published. For fifteen years it has been used by students and professionals in sociology, social work, community development, education, health , welfare, psychology, management, environmental studies, legal studies and many other fields.”
This project was an education for me, an important stage in my cartooning development. Yoland Wadsworth knew exactly what the illustrations needed to depict: she understood how text and illustration combine to communicate with the reader.
Two further books followed: Everyday Evaluation on the Run and Human Inquiry for Living Systems. Now, just over 40 years since Do It Yourself Social Research Routledge has reprinted the revised and updated set – including revised covers and many of the illustrations : ‘This 3-volume collection of path-breaker Yoland Wadsworth’s crucial work will assist new generations in conducting research effectively at every stage’.
Sweet and Sour is a children’s story by David Novak – A Telling Experience. He brings his story to life in his wonderful way. The illustrations were first drawn as cards to tell the story using a kamishibai, a Japanese paper theatre stage. The story was inspired by the stories David read to his son Jack, ‘especially the tale of Momotaro and the evil Oni (ogres)’.
I met David Novak at the 2016 Sydney International Storytelling Conference and we met up again in 2018. We talked about a simple animation of one of his stories. It was only recently, with the help of a grant David received for the kamishibai stage and pictures, that we got it together.
The Storytelling Conferences are wonderful events attracting storytellers from around the world – creating a feast of stories and presentations. And great inspiration for pictures! I have cartooned at a number of the conferences – see posts from 2025 and 2016.
some of the kamishibai cards …
This is an impression of Jack and Ella Thomas’s yard, Lancelot Terrace, Moonta Mines, drawn in the 1980s. Jack (known as Janna) bred and raced champion pigeons. Ella raised goats. She was very cluey. Both were so Cornish.
Jack could just remember the end of the mines 60 years earlier. The mine owners blew up many of the mine buildings, he said, so the now-jobless families wouldn’t be able to use them.
At election times the Moonta Mines polling booth would be the only Labor booth on the Yorke Peninsula. Ella Thomas handed out the Labor ‘How To Vote’ cards and made sure you knew how to make your vote count.
The remains of a structure on the left in the picture once supported a wind generator that charged batteries which powered the lights in the house. When mains electricity reached Moonta Mines residents were not able to connect to the power until they had dismantled their wind generators.
Photographer Peter Richards lived next door and here are two of his beautiful photos of Jack and Ella, taken back then.
The 2nd National Small Town Reinvention Conference was held at Kapunda, South Australia, 22-25 September. The cartoons illustrated just some of the many moments and messages over four great days.
The conference was another Peter Kenyon of The Bank of Ideas event. Supported by many – in particular Tony Piccolo MP who brought the conference to Kapunda.
The 28 cartoons were auctioned on the last day, the money raised was donated to the painting of the Kapunda silo art project.
Illustrations created in collaboration with Parry Agius, Linking Futures, for Star Dreaming -holistic athlete development. The dark emu image is used in each picture. These graphics illustrate preparing indigenous players for the Australian Football League AFL – which involves much more than just the player…
Other sketch drawings…
The Sydney International Storytelling Conference, June 6-8, was a gathering of wonderful storytellers. My cartooning at the event illustrated moments from their presentations, workshops and, of course, stories.
The cartoons were auctioned on the last day, the money raised going to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
Concluding the previous post, it’s the legal obligations to the Sámi people that are being conveniently overlooked. The full report – in Swedish – with all of the illustrations can be seen here.
Artwork for a 7 metre long banner illustrating the University of NSW’s strategy consultation, to be used at an internal conference. Commissioned by Laundry Lane.
Simon Kneebone - cartoonist and illustrator 