Museums & Galleries of NSW is pleased to announce the Dobell Exhibition Grant recipient for 2025. The Assessment Panel considered 12 applications from public and regional galleries across NSW, offering $40,000 to support one exhibition project. Very strong exhibition proposals were received for a wide range of exhibition projects, with Bondi Pavilion Gallery’s exhibition Souter’s Bondi awarded the funding.

Bondi Pavilion Gallery – Souter’s Bondi – $40,000

Souter’s Bondi considers iconic mural works by David Henry Souter, historically displayed in the clubhouse of the Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club (BSBSLC) and utilises them to create a contemporary conversation about the Beach; beyond local identity, as a symbol, an icon, a place of leisure and significance to our national identity. Souter served as the BSBSLC President from 1920-1921 and created these works between 1920 and 1934. The exhibition will return these beloved local artefacts to Bondi Beach, offering audiences a glimpse of Bondi’s history whilst creating an opportunity for contemporary interpretation. The exhibition will celebrate Souter as a prominent local figure in Bondi’s history: a surf lifesaver, illustrator, Art Deco stylist and key figure in the Australian Classical Revival.

Curated by Elizabeth Reidy and Todd Fuller, the exhibition combines historical appreciation, contemporary artistic interpretation and community engagement to increase understanding of Bondi’s heritage across multiple subject areas. Souter’s work articulated Bondi’s identity during pivotal moments in the rapid increase in popularity of beach-going in the early 20th century, defined the ‘Aussie surf lifesaver’ through posters and illustrations, and contributed to the legend of the Anzac Soldier.

Contemporary art commissions inspired by Souter’s murals will be developed by four artists including Gerwyn Davis, Maz Dixon, Billy Bain, and Lillian O’Neil. Together with loaned works by various other artists, the exhibition will explore social changes and themes of leisure, gender, local identity, and mythology. By examining Souter’s work through diverse artistic lenses, its content and context is extended and deepened. Featured artists will respond to the original murals in the form of prints, ceramics, photography, collage and painting. This work will be accompanied by poster and print reproductions and a small collection of objects loaned from the Waverley Local Studies Collection and the BSBSLC.

Commissioned artists will be encouraged to illuminate hidden histories and narratives overlooked in Souter’s work, challenging audiences to see the mural’s subjects from new perspectives. To enrich the experience, the exhibition will include annotated interpretations of Souter’s Murals, decoding their iconography for viewers. These printed annotations will highlight elements of Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles, as well as significant figures, objects, and landmarks, enabling visitors to unpack the allegorical symbolism within the works.

The exhibition will coincide with the international festival celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Art Deco and Waverley Council’s associated Art Deco programming, as well as the National Trust’s Heritage Festival. Planned public programming includes: Art Deco walking tours, BSBSLC History Committee talks, curator tours, additional 1920s digital content in the adjacent interactive Bondi Story Room, and a weekend of courtyard activations with period dance and live music. A folded booklet aimed at young audiences will be available to visitors, offering interactive games and prompts to encourage exploration of the murals and deeper engagement with both Souter’s murals and contemporary works in the space. This project is supported by the Australian National Maritime Museum.

The Dobell Exhibition Grant program is supported by the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation and managed by Museums & Galleries of NSW.

Read more about the Dobell Exhibitions Grant Program here