Our History

stARTs North-West was previously known as the Burnie Arts Council. It is one of the oldest continuously running regional arts organisations in Australia – quite possibly THE oldest!

The national regional arts network was established in 1947 by Miss Dorothy Helmrich OBE. She envisaged a nation where people living in regional, rural, and remote Australia could contribute, participate, and enjoy the arts on an equal level to those in metropolitan areas.

Dorothy visited Hobart in 1947 to initiate the Tasmanian Division of the Arts Council of Australia. Soon to follow were regional branches in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie.

There remain no official records of the first meetings of the Burnie branch, but from the documents and articles that are available, we can determine that the Burnie Arts Council was formed sometime between late 1947 and early 1948.

The people who were the driving force behind the formation of the Burnie Arts Council were Iris Graham OAM and Basil Sproule OBE. Basil Sproule served as the first President, a position he continued to hold for many years.

It was Basil who first presented plans to Burnie councillors for a multi-functional community centre with a theatre and art gallery as its centrepiece… in 1952! Basil held an unwavering commitment to this dream. In in 1976 Basil’s dream was realised. The Civic Centre was opened (at a cost of $3.5 million) and it was the only fully comprehensive and flexible entertainment and cultural facility in Tasmania at that time.

1995 BAC Committee - Tom Langston (Vice President), Sandra Jenns (President), Teresa Beck-Swindale (Top Left Music), Rosemary Farrell (Secretary), Jamie A (Treasurer), Ruth Rees (Burnie Coastal Art Group)

Burnie benefited greatly from the national regional arts network under the umbrella of Tasmanian Regional Arts. Through this network touring acts were brought to regional areas such as Burnie. The Arts Council would host these marvellous performances at no financial risk to our branch.

Burnie was experiencing the full flush of Dorothy Helmrich’s dream!

Unfortunately, the operational capacity of Tasmanian Regional Arts incrementally diminished throughout the 2010’s. Despite valiant efforts to maintain its status and function, the organisation closed in 2017.

This closure had a significant impact on the Tasmanian arts landscape, with many branches closing. Led at the time by President Lynne Price, Burnie Arts Council discussed the group’s future. Calling on the courageous and determined spirit of the group’s forebears, the decision was made to remain operational. The long history of the group and its status as an incorporated body provided a solid grounding on which continue its activities independently.

Throughout its decades of operation, the Burnie Arts Council has fulfilled a function as a unifying and enabling agent for many other existing and fledgling arts organisations. The meetings were structured so that representatives from these organisations could attend and promote their activities. It must be remembered this was long before the existence of the internet or social media. These opportunities, where people came together to share and support each other were essential to building and maintaining Burnie’s rich cultural landscape.

Event Poster - Inaugural Burnie Festival (what became Burnie Shines)

Event Poster - An Evening with Sean Riley

At times when this landscape has come under threat, Burnie Arts Council has armoured up and fulfilled an advocacy role. This occurred when Burnie City Council handed their foreshore arts and tourism icon Makers’ Workshop to the University of Tasmania in 2013. More recently, in 2021, the community was dealt a major blow with further cuts to Burnie City Council’s arts venues, and the forced loss of many long-term staff from their events and cultural services teams.

Delivering a petition to council in 2021

Against this complex backdrop, the activities of the Burnie Arts Council continued unabated.

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List of past presidents and secretaries

We honour their commitment and dedication.

As stARTs North-West, we will continue to champion community arts with the same passion, persistence and determination!

Known Past Presidents:

Basil Sproule 1948 - (OBE 1970)

Iris Graham 1967- (OAM 1981)

Jack Hamilton

David Clive 1984

Ray Hearn 1985-

Donogh O’Brien (OAM 1976)

Tom Langston 1991-95 (OAM 2020)

Fi Hodge 1998

Sandra Jenns 1995-96

Paul Snell

Charlie Trafford 1999

Jane Teniswood 1997-98

Suzanne Yanko 2006

Lynne Price (14 years not continuous)

Belinda Wright 2009-2010

Eleanor Austin 2012-2013

Lyndal Thorne

Known Past Secretaries and possible dates

H K Sherriff 52

Joyce Wayn 53

Edna Kerrison 54

Molly Raymond 54?

Pat Muir

D O’Brien 66

Judy Stansell 67

Helen Jones 68-

Linda Carter 85

Jill Langston 85-95

Rose Farrell 95-96?

Kaye Dunne 97-01

Russell Jarvis 01

Noelene Hurkett 05-09

Pam Thorne 10-23

The Story of the Challen Piano – showing the spirit of stARTs North-West!

In September 1950, the Burnie Arts Council announced plans to purchase a grand piano. With such an asset, Burnie would be able to attract leading British artists and ABC touring performers to the region.

Challen Piano - photo courtesy of The Advocate

It was an expensive item, to be purchased from the United Kingdom at a cost of around 1,100 guineas. Basil Sproule convinced eight local businessmen to guarantee £100 each towards the purchase.

After further dedicated fundraising, the piano arrived! The first big concert for the new Challen Grand was a recital by the young internationally acclaimed pianist Paul Badura-Skoda. 900 tickets we sold!

The piano was housed in the old Burnie Primary School Hall in Alexander Street. For concerts in the old Burnie Theatre the piano had to be moved. Under the careful supervision and orchestration of Basil Sproule, its legs and pedals would be removed, and the body of the Challan would be loaded onto a small trolley, pushed it across the schoolyard, down Mount Street across Cattley Street, and up the lane beside the theatre. With one final heave, the team of ‘piano pallbearers’ hauled it up the ramp onto the stage. This is a vivid example of the determination and teamwork that defined the Burnie Arts Council’s early years… and continues to this day with the new stARTs North-West team!