The Stolen Songlines of Miss Roselands 2 Year Old

A Portrait of Memory, Loss and Cultural Resilience

There are some paintings that become far more significant than you could ever imagine when you first begin them.

My portrait, The Stolen Songlines of Miss Roselands 2 Year Old, is one of those works.

I was deeply honoured to learn that this painting has been acquired for the permanent collection of the State Library of New South Wales as part of the Library’s 200th anniversary celebrations. To have this work preserved in one of Australia’s most important cultural institutions is an extraordinary privilege, and one of the most meaningful moments of my career.

Meeting Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon AO

The portrait depicts Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon AO, one of Australia’s most remarkable artists and cultural leaders.

Deborah is a Yorta Yorta soprano, composer, educator and member of the Stolen Generations. Through her music, her advocacy, and her powerful storytelling, she has transformed the Australian cultural landscape. Her work gives voice to history, truth and healing, while creating pathways for future generations of First Nations artists.

Painting Deborah was both an artistic challenge and a profound emotional experience. Her intelligence, strength and dignity were immediately apparent, but so too was a deep sense of connection to Country, family and culture.

The Meaning Behind the Title

The title The Stolen Songlines of Miss Roselands 2 Year Old comes directly from an extraordinary and deeply moving part of Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon AO’s life story.

Yorta Yorta soprano, composer and member of the Stolen Generations Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon  AO began her public life at a very young age when she was crowned Miss Roselands 2 Year Old at Roselands Shopping Centre, a Sydney landmark of the 1960s.

A faded publicity photograph from that event, taped to the wall, was carefully kept by Deborah’s adopted mother, Marjory. Years later, when Deborah was finally reunited with her Aboriginal mother, Monica, she was stunned to discover the very same photograph among her mother’s most cherished possessions.

Such are the experiences of the children of the Stolen Generations.

For me, the title speaks not only of loss, separation and fractured identity, but also of enduring love, memory and invisible connection. Despite decades of separation, both mothers held onto the same image of the same little girl, each treasuring her in their own way.

The painting reflects those layered histories — the pain of displacement, the resilience of survival, and the unbroken threads of culture, family and belonging that continue to endure across generations.

Symbolism in the Painting

In creating this portrait, I wanted to reflect both Deborah’s personal history and her enduring strength.

The work seeks to evoke the weight of the past while also conveying resilience, grace and the restoration of identity. Deborah’s gaze is calm yet unwavering, embodying wisdom and determination.

The portrait was painted with great care to honour her story and to acknowledge the broader history of the Stolen Generations—one of Australia’s most painful and important truths.

A Powerful Presence in the State Library Collection

One of the aspects I love most about the acquisition is the placement of this portrait in the State Library’s collection.

The two portraits of strong First Nations women now look across the gallery toward a group of portraits of colonial men. It is a powerful and moving juxtaposition—an important visual reminder that Australia’s history is being retold and rebalanced.

These women, and the stories they represent, are central to our national narrative.

An Enduring Legacy

As artists, we often work alone in our studios, never knowing where a painting’s journey will lead.

To paint Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon AO was an immense honour. To have The Stolen Songlines of Miss Roselands 2 Year Old acquired by the State Library of New South Wales for its bicentenary collection is something I will treasure forever.

My hope is that this portrait continues to tell Deborah’s story for generations to come, encouraging reflection on Australia’s history while celebrating the resilience, brilliance and cultural leadership of one extraordinary woman.

It is deeply meaningful to know that this painting now forms part of Australia’s permanent cultural record.