Connee-Colleen Cameron (1941-2021)

We lost a Queanbeyan legend last week with the sad passing of Connee-Colleen. An artist, activist, agitator and archivist, she worked very hard to record and protect Queanbeyan's history, culture and heritage.

It was fitting that Connee spent her last days in a room at Queanbeyan Hospital overlooking the heritage-listed Rusten House, which she helped save from demolition. She was at the re-opening of the original hospital in April this year after it was restored by QPRC and she was her usual cheeky, passionate, and jolly self.

Born in Dubbo, Connee was the youngest child of George and Jess Cameron, and sister to Kevin and Shirley. Connee grew up to love the uniquely Australian culture and characters of her neighbourhood, and that love shone through in her pursuits of art and heritage, both of which she fought passionately for through the years. Mother of three, grandmother of eight, and great grandmother to two, Connee loved and was loved by her family. Her warm spirit, wisdom, and seemingly boundless energy will be missed greatly.

The funeral service for Connee will be held at Christ Church, Rutledge Street, Queanbeyan on Thursday 23rd December 2021, commencing at 1:30pm. Burial will follow at Queanbeyan Lawn Cemetery.

When the 1933 Queanbeyan Hospital was demolished in 2007 to make way for the new hospital Connee had plans to save part of Queanbeyan’s heritage and this evolved into a design for a memorial Portico facing Collett Street using historical elements of the Hospital. Here she is documenting the bricks which she planned use in an official replica. 

Last year I was honoured to curate an amazing exhibition showcasing Connees’s work and the contributions she has made to Queanbeyan. It was Connee’s friend Sue Jarvis, who approached me with the desire to consolidate Connee’s extraordinary sculptures and sketches, and to have her story told. Create Collaborate Collective Inc worked with Connee’s family, along with the Jerrabomberra Rotary Club and many volunteers to bring this show to life.

Since this exhibition: 

• Measures have been put into place for some of her sculptures to be on loan to QPRC and her Bronze sculpture “Mary Amelia – waiting 1984” is now at Rusten House.
• The Canberra red bricks which Connee saved during the demolition of the old Queanbeyan hospital are safely stored for a future project.
• Heritage-culture Arts Promotions Incorporated (HAPI), originally founded by Connee, has been reformed.
• Work is underway to have a second sculpture to come to fruition, which was part of her Connee’s 12 Apostles initiative. This will be of Pioneer William Byrne Freebody, who had the ‘Midas Touch’ in business as well as community work. He served 41 years as a Queanbeyan Councillor (Qbn Age 1962). The First Pioneer sculpture is that of John Gale. 
• Discussions have begun for the conservation of her 3 life-sized Ciment Fondue sculptures that are still located at The Queanbeyan Hive.
• Fundraising for this work has begun. ‘The Hive Bar’ (run by Create Collaborate Collective Inc) donated $2 from every drink and every sausage sandwich sold last Friday, raising $366.

Create Collaborate Collective Inc will be working with Heritage-culture Arts Promotions Incorporated (HAPI) to honour Connee's legacy and to carry on working towards her visions for Queanbeyan. Please contact us at cccqbn@gmail.com if you would like to make a donation to this cause and stay tuned for more events/activities.

Warm regards,  Helen Ferguson

Photos taken at the exhibition Connee-Colleen: Queanbeyan Character, The Queanbeyan Hive, October 2021

Rest in peace Connee, you have left behind a grand legacy ❤

"John John 1984" by Connee-Colleen, dressed up in Connee's tailor made Santa outfit with our up-cycled twist on his walkng stick.  QPRC Up-cycled Christmas Decorating Competition 2020.

Connee loved dressing up her sculptures

Connee-Colleen made a Santa outfit for "John John 1984" (pictured above) and she used to dress up her sculptures. In Connee's post graduate writings from the Canberra School of Art she wrote:

'Worked six hours on "John John" clay at Forbes House outside. John is ill in Queanbeyan Hospital. Thanksgiving dinner today at Forbes House. I dressed up as Santa Claus, pillows to disguise me, and went over to John John in hospital and stood in the doorway. "Gerday Connee", he said. "John John, I'm in disguise", rushing over to him and throwing my arms around him, "How do you know it's me?" "Connee I know, I can feel when you come near my room", and the old gnarled hands reached up and touched my home-made beard and he said, "Romney wool, Connee, bit greasy, not a good quality wool." Senility? or lack of stimulus - give an old wool classer some sheep's wool, be it in the form of a Santa Claus beard, and a mind comes to life.'