Snugglepot and Cuddlepie 100 not out!

For a century May Gibbs’ Snugglepot and Cuddlepie stories and illustrations have captured the hearts of a nation. These quintessential Australian characters were recently celebrated at the launch of the City of South Perth Historical Society’s exhibition – Snugglepot and Cuddlepie 100 Not Out. 

City of South Perth Mayor Sue Doherty had the pleasure of officially opening the exhibition on Saturday, 1 September, at the Heritage House Cultural Centre.

Sue said the exhibition was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate May Gibbs’ life, and pay tribute to the 100th anniversary of her iconic book Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, which has remained in continuous print for 100 years.

“May was a wonderful artist, illustrator, cartoonist and author,” Sue said. “Her love for the Australian bush was her inspiration for Snugglepot, Cuddlepie and the many other iconic characters and stories she created within this series.”

May Gibbs and her family arrived in South Australia from England in 1885, and after moving to the south west of WA, they settled in the Dune in South Perth in 1889, which remained the Gibbs’ family home for some 50 years. 

“The City’s special connection with May and her family led to the initial acquisition of artworks by the City in January 1998 and the establishment of the May Gibbs Trust to oversee the collection,” Sue said.

“Over the years we have been fortunate enough, with the support of the Trust, to continue to add to this collection, which now totals 123 pieces.”

The exhibition includes more than 50 pieces including original artworks from the City’s collection and artworks on loan from the Gibbs Family. This includes 14 pieces which have never been seen before.

The City of South Perth Historical Society also commissioned an illustrated map for the exhibition entitled Footprints of May, which captures May’s life in Australia.

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie 100 Not Out runs from the beginning of September through to 24 February 2019. For full details including opening hours visit the City of South Perth’s website.