Skip to main content
Advanced Search
Untitled (ANZAC Good Luck Safe Return - HMAS ANZAC leaving Sydney for the war in Iraq)
Untitled (ANZAC Good Luck Safe Return - HMAS ANZAC leaving Sydney for the war in Iraq)

Untitled (ANZAC Good Luck Safe Return - HMAS ANZAC leaving Sydney for the war in Iraq)

Artist (1930 - 2020)
Date2003
Object number00038300
NamePainting
MediumAcrylic paint on board MDF board
DimensionsOverall: 610 x 910 x 15 mm
Copyright© Gina Sinozich
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionHMAS ANZAC is shown leaving Sydney Harbour for the Iraq War and is farwelled by both protest banners and messages of hope. Although this painting refers to the ship HMAS ANZAC, the vessel that departed Sydney during April 2003 was HMAS SYDNEY. In this work artist Gina Sinozich has concentrated on capturing the social climate surrounding Australia's involvement in the conflict rather than producing visually realistic representations of the events.HistoryGina Sinozich began painting in 2000, when she was 70 years old. In 2009 she continues to paint full-time at her home in south-western Sydney. In 2003 Gina completed 24 paintings related to the war in Iraq, drawing inspiration from media coverage in newspapers and on television. Her paintings include scenes of Iraqi's queuing for petrol and food, hospitals filled with the sick and the injured, and the toppling of the statue of Saddam Hussein. The pain of war is a particularly personal subject for Gina who experienced conflict in Yugoslavia during World War II and in the years following when she fled Australia with her family as a Croatian refugee in 1957. In 1956 Gina Sinozich fled her home in Istria, Croatia with her husband and two children Michael and Jenny to start a new life. Their decision to leave was made because of the difficult conditions for families living in post war Croatia. As part of the newly formed Communist Republic of Yugoslavia, many Croatians feared for their safety and experienced hunger and poverty under the tight control of Marshall Josep Tito. After secretly travelling overland to Italy the Sinozich family lived in a refugee camp for 18 months until they were granted a migration ticket and the choice to move to either Canada or Australia. With only three small suitcases between the family of four, they chose Australia. SignificanceThis painting represents artist Gina Sinozich's opinion about the events surrounding the departure of Australian defence personnel for the Persian Gulf.