By Kate Foreman
There’s a changing of the guard for one of Robe’s most well known artistic families.
After opening Wilson’s at Robe more than 30 years ago, owners Terry and Nancy Johnson are looking forward to letting go of the reins – just a little!
Stepping up to the canvas is daughter Hadley, now an artist and graphic designer in her own right.
She recently opened her first solo exhibition ‘Colours and Shapes’ at Wilson’s art gallery, a collection she describes as “colourful, whimsical and eccentric water colour and patterned pen illustrations.”
Hadley, Nancy and Terry at ‘Wilson’s at Robe’ gallery
As well as being home for the Johnsons, Wilson’s at Robe is an institution for the locals, as well as for the many artists who exhibit and the many tourists who visit.
The added bonus now is that Wilson’s will open all year round, with Hadley looking after the ‘business’ when Terry and Nancy head to their home away from home, Port Douglas, where Terry established the Terry Johnson Studio Gallery in 2009.
“It’s so good for the town, now that Hadley is kind of taking over,” says Terry, who’s originally from Ohio in the US.
He travelled with Nancy to Australia and landed in Brisbane before making their way to Adelaide – where they lived for 10 years.
The Johnsons stumbled across Robe in the early 80s while on a school holiday.
Terry Johnson with works inspired by the seaside village of Robe
“We were teaching at Taperoo, and had planned a school holiday to the Grampians, but the place we wanted to stay at was booked out… we wanted to visit Robe as well, so we went there instead,” says Terry.
When teaching transfers came up, the Johnson’s made the move and lived in the old Robe Post Office before purchasing the historic Wilson’s Saddlery building.
The couple opened Wilson’s at Robe around 1983, with the original idea of having a restaurant and gallery together.
“It was perfect, because it was central, we operated out of half the building, while the back was rented out by many locals over the years,” Terry adds.
“We had the first espresso machine in Robe, and Nancy made her famous sticky buns, she used to make 100 serves a day.”
The Johnson’s love for art eventually won out and after 15 years in hospitality, Wilson’s was converted entirely into a gallery.
“I think we’ve been a very consistent gallery, versified in the way that we have a lot of artists with high skilled crafts as well as 2D art,” Terry says.
“For me I try and find something unique and different that everyone else doesn’t have, and we tend to be sea orientated because of the village being so close to the ocean.”
“People often say it is one of the best galleries they’ve been in, which is really lovely to hear,” Nancy adds.
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