University Galleries

𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 is a new ARC-funded research exhibition opening this Wednesday at Watt Space Gallery.

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 on July 8 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟲𝗽𝗺 🥂
EVERYONE WELCOME

Led by women and reliant on voluntary work, charitable donations and some government funds, mental health aftercare associations differed from other forms of post-institutional care in their personal approach to mental health support. Their histories are only partially told or remembered. The thousands of women, men and families who were helped by aftercare have also been invisible in the historical narrative of mental health care in Australia.

This exhibition tells their stories by drawing from a rich set of archival material to evoke the spaces of care and the varied experiences of individuals who sought help – shining new light on twentieth-century journeys between hospital and home for people leaving institutions, and reflecting on how we might approach mental health care in our present.

This research was fully supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Projects funding scheme – DP240100640 Life Outside Institutions: histories of mental health aftercare 1900 to 1960.

This research is also supported by STRIDE – For Better Mental Health.

𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
Watt Space Gallery
08 July – 12 September 2026

IMAGE: Image of the 'After Care Association of NSW Annual Report and Balance Sheet, 1941, courtesy of Stride

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟰.𝟯𝟬𝗽𝗺 – please join us for champagne with the artist for the exhibition finissage! 🥂

Michael Cusack’s 𝙁𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙄𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙨 closes this weekend at Watt Space Gallery. If you haven’t seen made it to see this incredible exhibition yet, don’t miss out on this final weekend!

Michael will also be in the gallery on Saturday 27th June from 2pm for the last day of the exhibition – please feel welcome to come along and meet the artist before this wonderful show closes.

IMAGE: Michael Cusack, 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘢, 2023, oil on canvas, 244 x 184 cm

Michael Cusack University of Newcastle Galleries University of Newcastle, AUS Visit Newcastle