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Chowder Bay
Most recently, as part of the 2025 Festival of Mosman, the Harbour Trust ran 3 hands-on workshops at the Middle Head Brick Garages on Saturday 15 October. A total of 30 people attended, including families with children.
Titled The Art of camouflage, these free sessions shone a light on Mosman’s historic Camouflage Laboratory, established during the Second World War. Participants were encouraged to consider the ways in which art, science and nature inform camouflage. They also reflected on their personal connection to Middle Head and contributed to a collaborative, camouflage-themed artwork.
A brief history of camouflage at Mosman
The Camouflage Laboratory was established in 1941 by the government’s newly founded Defence Central Camouflage Committee. It was operated by a multi-disciplinary group led by W. J. Dakin. A professor of zoology with the University of Sydney, Dakin had previously run a civilian collective known as the Sydney Camouflage Group. This group had explored the ways in which colours, patterns and shadows could be used, during periods of war, to deceive enemy forces. They produced the publication The Art of Camouflage, which became a key document in supporting wartime camouflage experimentation and developments.
Believing creativity to be a critical component of camouflage, Dakin recruited leading creative practitioners – notably, Frank Hinder and Max Dupain – to work alongside scientists and military personnel at the Camouflage Laboratory. This brains trust investigated how camouflage could be used as a form of passive defence during the Second World War. Notably, they experimented with disruptive patterns, countershading, netted canopies, dummy structures and colour combinations informed by Australia’s unique natural environment. A key focus was aerial deception and staff used elevated and aerial photography to test camouflage techniques – because what can fool a person at ground level can fail when viewed from above.
The personnel of the Camouflage Laboratory weren’t the only people, locally, who were active in the field of camouflage. During the war, Mosman residents assembled at a local ballroom to create camouflage nets for use in concealing military equipment and supplies. This was part of a wider home front initiative and camouflage nets came to symbolise the way in which the war permeated everyday community life.
From deception to contemporary expression
The Art of Camouflage workshops were led by guest artist and educator Emily Besser and saw attendees receive a crash course in abstract art, including its application in camouflage. They also heard about Mosman’s historic Camouflage Laboratory from the Harbour Trust’s Assistant Curator, Michelle DeCarteret. From there, attendees were led outside to observe and document Middle Head’s natural landscape through the creation of abstract painted prints – each a unique camouflage shape.
These pieces were tied onto netting using strips of fabric to form collaborative installation that changed throughout the day. The colours incorporated into the prints and fabric strips echoed those used by the Camouflage Laboratory. Participants also contributed short written reflections on Middle Head, commenting on what was important to them and what should be protected.
Making history hands-on and relatable
The Art of Camouflage workshops were a fantastic opportunity for the Harbour Trust to explore how Middle Head — its history, buildings, people and landscape — can inspire creative and meaningful ways to connect with our visitors.
We extend our thanks to Emily Besser as well as everyone who contributed to the workshops. The level of engagement demonstrated a real appetite for creative learning at Middle Head and we hope to create more opportunities for the activation of our sites.
The resulting artwork is not static. It will continue to grow over time as more visitors come to the Brick Garages, add their own painted prints and reflections to the netting and otherwise contribute to a piece that is unique to the Middle Head story.
