Business owner,
Manager,
Arts and Craft marketing,
Cultural heritage
Indigenous Australian,
Biographical notes
Shirley Anne Collins was born in Darwin and has lived all her life in the Northern Territory. Her great-grandfather, Philip Samuel Rilstone, established the first dairy in Darwin. Her maternal great-grandmother, Mimi (Robertson) Yaramaninjimara was from the Robertson River coastal community Wurdaliya at Borroloola. Shirley's mother Bridgette was one of the Stolen Generation. Shirley was first educated by her mother Bridgette in traditional Aboriginal teachings. Later she went on to Darwin Primary and High School at Frogs Hollow. Shirley was fourteen when her mother died and she left school to help look after her siblings.
Over time and through a succession of jobs, Shirley rose to become Director of the Arnhemland Aboriginal Art Gallery. The gallery staged a series of art exhibitions featuring creative work of both a traditional and transitional nature, in addition to organising frequent interstate and overseas exhibitions. Shirley has actively promoted and encouraged Aboriginal arts, crafts and pioneered the development of marketing artefacts. In 1986 Shirley established the Raintree Aboriginal Art Gallery which was considered among Australia's most representative galleries of Aboriginal art. In May 1995 the Raintree Fine Art Gallery was established, this gallery still offers quality works by high-profile Aboriginal artists.,
Subject
Women,
Northern Territory,
Related materials
Northern Territory women’s register 1948-1988, 1991. NTC 920.09429 NORT,
"Gallery shows off rich culture Shirley true to spirit of family" Sunday Territorian, 13 October 1996, p.38-39.,
"Aboriginal art paper launch" Northern Territory News, 6 August 1990, p.5.,
"The Raintree Collection" Northern Territory News, 27 September 1990, p.13.,