| "The Gnomery" 18124 New England Highway Mt. Marshall. Qld 4362 Phone:(07) 4666 3616 If you are travelling north of Warwick, in South East Queensland, drop in and have a look at "The Gnomery". Only 6km south of the township of Allora or 5km north of Historic Glengallan Homestead. |
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 "The Gnomery" features a toy gallery with a collection of over 100 moveable toys, a shop where over 40 different designs of hand made toys are for sale and a 30 seat theatre. "The Gnomery" is open by arrangement or take pot luck and call in as you drive by. If the gallery is open a flag will be flying by the highway. Otherwise call Claire Schofield on (07) 4666 3616 The half hour theatre performance is called "A Cock and Bull Story"Technically it is a demonstrationof 80 different arrangements for the mechanical movement of puppets. Culturally it is a history of the settlement of the Darling Downs. It is an unsophisticated tale designed to bring amusement to audiences of all ages. "The Gnomery" toy gallery is fast becoming a stop off point for families travelling in South East Queensland. |
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| Australian historical author, Claire Schofield, has turned her talents to preserving the old ways of toy making and story telling. Claire has been collecting moveable toys for the last 18 years and now has over 100 on display. Some are as old as she is and some came to stay just this Christmas. She also has a range of over 40 toys that she manufactures by hand on her leafy verandah and sells through her gallery shop. She has used her extensive knowledge of Australian pastoral history to spin a yarn about typical Australian families like the Carews (Jack Carew and Buck Carew) and the Battlers (Lil Battler and Ossie Battler). Claire brings delight to the people who visit the gallery with her sense of humour appealing to young and old alike. The children who visit are often amazed by the fact that you can make a toy out of wood, wire, fabric, recycled materials, any old thing in fact, without a plastic wrapper or "made in ..." sticker to be seen. |
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You may have seen many of the mechanism before, but Claire likes to adapt them to her rural theme or into Australian wildlife toys. |
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On a more sophisticated level is the mobile puppet theatre which travels to fetes, fairs and festivals and executes a series of two minute performances to renditions of original bush poetry. This theatre has a number of archetypal characters which take on various roles. Claire is a puppeteer. Not the shadow puppets you might find in oriental theatre and not the glove puppets you expect to see in the "Punch and Judy" type theatres. Claire's puppets are technically marrionettes, in other words they are operated by strings. . . But not like the yodelling goat herders in "The Sound of Music". The best way to describe them is animated wooden characters. The best way to enjoy them is to see them for yourself.  . . . Claire is also a bit of a clown. |
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 For a detailed map click here. |
"The Gnomery" is open by arrangement or take pot luck and call in as you drive by. If the gallery is open a flag will be flying by the highway. Otherwise call Claire Schofield on (07) 4666 3616 For large groups its best to book in advance. There is ample parking and room for coaches and vans to turn. |
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"The Gnomery" It features a collection of dozens of toys and puzzles that have been collected by Claire Schofield over the years. Many were gifts from her numerous grandchildren. Most of the toys are made of wood and many are animated in some way. Claire loves the toys that 'do something' best. |
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'The Gnomery' also features a shop where visitors can purchase hand made wooden toys. They are all made by Claire, some using traditional mechanisms and some she has designed herself. Without exception all of these toys 'do something' and have been a source of delight to thousands visitors over the years. |
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Claire's sense of humour shows through many of her toys. The blacksmith on the left is based on her ancester Dan Emmerson, an early settler in Queensland, and the Tassie devil on the right has a mouth full of fur. |  |
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Another aspect of "The Gnomery" is the theatre. Claire offers a performance with a cast of toys all telling an improbable tale of life on the farm. The show features 80 toys that all 'do something'. The performance costs $2 per head (minimum$10) and the theatre seats up to 30 guests at a time. She literally has them coming by the bus load. |
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Claire takes her travelling Toy Theatre to fetes, fairs, shows, markets and field days where she uses the puppets to accompany the bush poetry she has written. |  |
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She busks to cover her costs and provide the challenge of catching and holding an audience. Her show appeals to young and old alike but particularly to those with a sense of humour. |  |
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These colourful birds are two of Claire's fastest moving items. They fly in the wind and sell as fast as she can make them. |  |
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This site was last updated on 18/2/08