Marg Whyte.
What a joy! Miles of river for me to explore and adore, immerse myself in and make scribbly impressions of.
Bubbling with energy and ideas, this 86-year-old multi-talented woman sparkles as she passionately discusses her life, her work and her ‘strong sense of place and history’.
Margaret Whyte was born Margaret Edey in 1936, to soldier settler parents Jack and Jean Edey. She grew up in Karadoc, near Red Cliffs, through the tough years of the depression and World War II. Her father encouraged his children to read widely, to draw and write, and to take a keen interest in the world around them.
In the early 60s, Marg met her husband, Malcolm Whyte, a merino sheep grazier, at a sports day at the Anabranch Hall in far south-western NSW. They married in 1962 and Marg became a station wife at Willow Point Station, 45,000 acres on the Greater Anabranch of the Darling River. As Marg wrote, ‘What a joy! Miles of river for me to explore and adore, immerse myself in and make scribbly impressions of’.
Marg taught her three children at home using correspondence lessons from Blackfriars in Sydney and by School of the Air from Broken Hill. Marg described these lessons as ‘top-notch, to die for’. While her children thrived, so too Marg was inspired to follow her passion for writing and drawing. And so began her career as writer, illustrator, and artist.
Marg has created many whimsical and humorous paintings and drawings, the originals of which hang on walls all over the world. In addition, she has written, illustrated and published ‘six bush books for budding bookworms.’ Her work depicts life in the outback, the social history, nature and the animals of her world, and is filled with clues to not only entertain but educate. Character names revel in the alliteration and rhythm of the language such as a ‘lumpy, bumpy, stumpy-tail’; and ‘Rakali, the Resident Rectory Water-rat’, the last completed in 2021, when Marg was almost blind. There is even a series based on various orders of nuns. From these artworks, Marg made cards and calendars which she sold. Marg hopes to inspire future generations to be more connected to their natural environment.
In 2004 Marg’s work took on a more serious note, as, the worst drought in 100 years combined with years of poor water management created a dire situation for the Darling River system. The area is dotted with large lakes, and, in better days, the family had enjoyed water-skiing in what had been locally referred to as ‘the Lakes District’ but which was now dry in many places. Marg’s love for the environment compelled her to express her grief by producing a series of paintings, exhibited under the title ‘Death of a River’, complete with funeral service and eulogy. Years later in 2019, she reworked the paintings and eulogy into a children’s book, ‘The Death of a River’.
As well as paper-based art, Marg is a keen textile artist, creating several series of lovely, knitted figures, depicting every type of Australian owl and parrot, as well as quirky tea cosies featuring native flowers. Her textile work extends to wearable art in many forms such as a giant yabby or colourful swamp hens.
Marg is also passionately involved in Wentworth and its development and prosperity. A key annual event is the Wentworth Show and Marg established and coordinated the animal nursery exhibit in 1973, which continues to delight children and parents alike. Later, she instigated and compered the Woolpack to Catwalk Fashion Show and the Wearable Art Show, encouraging others to show off their creativity. She participated in the NSW Rural Women’s Gathering in 2010, an Enquiry into the Health of the Darling River and Menindee Lakes in 2019 and Wentworth Makers Market in 2020 to name just a few. Local groups like BirdLife Mildura often ask her to speak.
She says of herself that she ‘loves to market stuff’ and is keen to promote Wentworth, her home since 2014, as a tourist destination. She’s proud of its history and her connection to it. ‘History is our trump card,’ she says, and indeed, Wentworth has an important and colourful history.
In 2020, she was nominated for Hidden Treasures Honour Roll and her story has been captured in several interviews and video recordings.
When asked about the changes she has seen over her lifetime she reflects that there are less people living in the bush now and properties are bigger. Her greatest sadness is the loss of the river health accompanied by the loss of habitat and wildlife. ‘A tree must be 400 years old before it has the hollows for birds and animals to call home’.
While her eyesight may be failing, her passion and energy are not. She says she is ‘Taurus the Bull – Dare to do something.’ What’s next for this creative spirit? She plans to create a series of textile figures depicting all the different orders of nuns, complete with accurate details of their habits– just for fun. She has already planned the settings, with backdrops of ecclesiastical calligraphy, in one of Wentworth historic churches in which she will have them photographed. ‘It’s all possible,’ she insists.