Marriage: Love and Law

Marriage: Love and Law explored the laws, beliefs and social attitudes that have shaped and reshaped marriage in Australia over three centuries.

Stories of marriage were told through case studies of people, places and events—including the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer. Letters, Acts of Parliament, convict records, court documents, photographs, films, plans and reports sourced from the State Archives Collection will be on display, many for the first time.

For Marriage: Love and Law, NSW State Archives commissioned works by four of Australia’s most exciting visual artists. Danie Mellor, Blak Douglas, Raquel Ormella and Freya Jobbins, have each responded to stories and records about marriage sourced from the State Archives Collection. Specially commissioned pieces by writers Tara Moss, Kiera Lindsey and Judith MacCallum, and baritone Simon Lobelson—who performs of Governor Lachlan Macquarie’s 1810 proclamation encouraging ‘lawful marriage’—contributed to the colour and variety of perspectives that make up the marriage history narrative.

Also featured were creative and documentary works by 16 current and 12 past film and photographic artists. Many of these works were presented through a large-scale ‘marriage album’ encompassing documentary photographs of marriage ceremonies and celebrations over 140 years. A public program of talks, workshops and events plus an exhibition catalogue, accompanied the exhibition.

Marriage: Love and Law was at the Penrith Regional Gallery 30 March to 16 June 2019. It later toured to the Whitlam Institute at Rydalmere.

Find out how we put together our exhibition and explore some of the fantastic stories we uncovered.