The Stolen Songline of Miss Roselands | Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon AO
Oil on Linen
82cm x 58cm
2022
Government Collection
Portrait of Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon – State Library of NSW Collection
The Stolen Songline of Miss Roselands 2 Year Old | Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon AO
This significant portrait depicts the remarkable Yorta Yorta soprano, composer and cultural leader Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon AO, a member of the Stolen Generations. Painted by Australian portrait artist Vicki Sullivan, the work explores themes of memory, identity, family separation and cultural resilience.
The title refers to an extraordinary moment in Deborah's early life. As a two-year-old, she was crowned Miss Roselands at Roselands Shopping Centre in Sydney during the 1960s. A faded publicity photograph from that event was treasured by her adoptive mother, Marjory. Years later, when Deborah was reunited with her Aboriginal mother, Monica, she discovered that her mother had also carefully kept the very same photograph among her most cherished possessions.
This remarkable connection across years of separation became the inspiration for the painting, reflecting the enduring bonds of family, identity and belonging.
Created in 2022, the portrait was selected for the Salon des Refusés at the S.H. Ervin Gallery and was a semi-finalist in the 2022 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize.
In 2025, the painting was acquired by the State Library of New South Wales for its permanent collection as part of the Library's bicentenary celebrations. It is a particular honour to have my work preserved within one of Australia's most important cultural institutions.
As an award-winning Australian portrait artist, I strive to create portraits that go beyond physical likeness to reveal the character, humanity and stories of the people I paint.
2026 Acquired 2025 – Permanent Collection, State Library of New South Wales Click here for the SLNSW page 2025 Women Painting Women llll, Burrinja Cultural Center Upwey, Vic 2024 Solo Exhibition, "Australian Portraits, In the Limelight & In the shadows" Frankston Arts Center, Vic 2023 Salon de Refuse, SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney , NSW 2022 Semi-Finalist in the Doug Moran Portrait Prize
Portrait of Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon – State Library of NSW Collection
The Stolen Songline of Miss Roselands 2 Year Old | Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon AO
This significant portrait depicts the remarkable Yorta Yorta soprano, composer and cultural leader Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon AO, a member of the Stolen Generations. Painted by Australian portrait artist Vicki Sullivan, the work explores themes of memory, identity, family separation and cultural resilience.
The title refers to an extraordinary moment in Deborah's early life. As a two-year-old, she was crowned Miss Roselands at Roselands Shopping Centre in Sydney during the 1960s. A faded publicity photograph from that event was treasured by her adoptive mother, Marjory. Years later, when Deborah was reunited with her Aboriginal mother, Monica, she discovered that her mother had also carefully kept the very same photograph among her most cherished possessions.
This remarkable connection across years of separation became the inspiration for the painting, reflecting the enduring bonds of family, identity and belonging.
Created in 2022, the portrait was selected for the Salon des Refusés at the S.H. Ervin Gallery and was a semi-finalist in the 2022 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize.
In 2025, the painting was acquired by the State Library of New South Wales for its permanent collection as part of the Library's bicentenary celebrations. It is a particular honour to have my work preserved within one of Australia's most important cultural institutions.
As an award-winning Australian portrait artist, I strive to create portraits that go beyond physical likeness to reveal the character, humanity and stories of the people I paint.
Click to see page in the State Library of NSW collection
Provenance
2026 Acquired 2025 – Permanent Collection, State Library of New South Wales Click here for the SLNSW page
2025 Women Painting Women llll, Burrinja Cultural Center Upwey, Vic
2024 Solo Exhibition, "Australian Portraits, In the Limelight & In the shadows" Frankston Arts Center, Vic
2023 Salon de Refuse, SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney , NSW
2022 Semi-Finalist in the Doug Moran Portrait Prize
Click here to Commission a portrait by Vicki