Noela Hills archive

This item contains an illustrated biography of Noela Hills written by Robert Riddel.  This biography was a proposed Wikipedia entry.

This item contains an illustrated biography of Noela Hills written by Robert Riddel.

This item contains a range of biographical information compiled by Robert Riddel:

• photographs and printouts of Noela Hills by herself and with others at various ages including one of Noela aged 6.
• letters to Noela Hills including a reference from the College of Art, Brisbane and one regarding her being awarded a diploma from the Central School of Art and Design, London.
• Noela Hills' student card for the Central School of Art, London.
• print out of the exterior of ceramic artist and friend Alison Britton OBE's studio on Pancras Rd, London.
• contract of employment between Noela Hills and Gallery57, London, where Noela was a sales assistant.
• examples of Noela Hills' artwork, some original.
• Noela Hills CV.
• newspaper and magazine clippings about Noela Hills and her art (includes reviews).  There is also a newspaper clipping about "Wish" a Brisbane musical group of which Noela was a member.
• personal correspondence from Noela Hills including an illustrated Mothers Day card from Noela and Bob (Robert Riddel), a love letter to Roberto (Robert Riddel) and travel postcards written to family members.
• printouts providing information about Noela Hills' artworks.
• "Saturday Morning",  a picture book illustrated by Noela, published by Jacaranda Press, 1982.
• ephemera and exhibition catalogues regarding Noela Hills' solo and group exhibitions.
• Christmas card for Thumb Gallery containing a cover illustration by Noela Hills ca. 1981.
• La Boite Theatre ephemera containing illustrations by Noela Hills.

This item contains a range of biographical information compiled by Robert Riddel:

• printouts containing information about Noela Hills' artworks.
• clippings, photocopies and printouts about Noela and her art.
• ephemera for a variety of people and organisations featuring illustrations by Noela Hills.
• photographs of Noela Hills, her daughter Nina Olive Riddel, her husband Robert Riddel and others.
• cards and invitations for family celebrations featuring mostly original illustrations by Noela Hills.
• newspaper and magazine illustrations by Noela Hills.
• book cover illustrations by Noela, some original art work, some contained within the finished book cover.  This includes the cover of Angey Albert, a book illustrated by Noela Hills, published by Collins after her death in 1987.
• exhibition ephemera for Noela Hills' solo and group art exhibitions.
• letters to and from Noela Hills.
• other original artwork by Noela Hills.
• Noela Hills' letter header and advertising material, including some original art work.
• tenancy agreement between the Brisbane Community Arts Centre Ltd and Noela Hills.
• cover illustrations by Noela Hills for the serial issues of 'Good Weekend' (The Sydney Morning Herald magazine), May 31 1986 and The Cane Toad Times, January 1987.
• Noela Hills' discharge paperwork from the Royal Brisbane Hospital, 4 July 1987, just prior her death.
• Noela Hills' obituary, Courier Mail, July 23, 1987, copy of her death certificate and card containing her artwork Healing Light distributed by Robert Riddel on her death.

This item contains various artworks by Noela Hills.

• some works are accompanied by comments from her teachers.
• some individual work was produced in a group setting.
• although most of the artwork is undated, those dated appear to mainly occur during Noela Hill's time at the Queensland College of Art, Seven Hills.

Also contained is a photocopy provided to Noela Hills of a man and woman's body overlaid with a grid to facilitate the proportional reproduction of particular body parts and a photograph that may have been used for figure study.

Examples of specific artwork includes:

• flyer containing a pen drawing and collage for a Kedron High School dance, 1968.
• drawings and sketches of people on paper, includes figures and portraits, each in one colour only.
• colour drawings on paper of a landscape viewed through an archway and a work titled "Rainbow Strabroke", 1974 as well as one of a wicker chair on hessian.
• collages such as a felt collage titled "Cinderella" and paper collages, one titled "Bread wrapper design", 1973
• black and white linocut, 1972.
• coloured paintings on paper, board and hessian including plants, portraits, a rainbow and two works containing men playing brass musical instruments titled "Jazzmen", 1973 and "More Jazzmen" 1973.
• pen drawings and collage of letters, words, shapes and other designs completed while attending the Roma Vacation School of Creative Art, May 8-12, 1972 as well as similar designs completed in March, April and October 1972.
• black, grey and white paintings of a men's dress shirt and a spatula, 1973-1974.
• detailed black pen drawing of a tree trunk containing some bled ink.
• colour student drawing advertising department store wrapping paper.
• student paper written by Noela Hills, 1974.

This item contains various artworks by Noela Hills.

• some works are accompanied by comments and gradings from teachers.
• some individual work was produced in a group setting.
• while most of the works are on paper, some are on board or fabric.
• some works are accompanied by notes written by Noela Hills.
• although most of the artwork is undated, those dated appear to occur during Noela Hill's time at the Queensland College of Art, Seven Hills.

Included is one piece of ephemera relating to the College of Art exhibition, 1972.

Examples of specific artwork includes:

• lino-cut block of a cat.
• sketches, drawings, notes and other material regarding various projects including:
  • designing posters to celebrate the Queensland Education Centenary 1897-1975 and to promote conservation.
  • promotional designs for the Sunshine Seafood Restaurant and the Bradmans clothing store.
  • a project featuring Australia House, Eagle Street, Brisbane.
• pencil sketches and drawings of people, plants, portraits, skulls and a wagon wheel.
• pen and pencil architectural drawings.
• drawings, mostly in black or brown, of people, skeletal parts, a desk lamp, a basket, a truck and a domed building with gardens.
• black pen drawings and sketches including portraits, a classroom scene, baskets, a small comic strip.
• colour paintings of portraits, landscapes, steps, vases, scenes including a work "Sometimes in winter".
• colour stamping of fruit.
• colour pen sketch of a person.
• works containing drawing and painting including an illustration for a children's book, a person and a poster for a College of Art exhibition, Leichhardt Gallery, Spring Hill.
• colour screen prints, mainly text, onto fabric.
• an illustrated record cover containing coloured drawing and collage.
• colour linocut or wood block prints.

This item contains various large artworks by Noela Hills.

• figure drawings.
• colour pen figure drawing.
• colour prints of trees with birds.
• conservation project preliminary colour prints and poster.

Linocut of a swan, no. 1 of 5.

Drawing of a flat roofed cream building with arched windows with red shutters. Some of the windows are open. The text "Magician" has been written in red on top of the roof. The building's shadow is dark green in front of the building. The blue sky contains clouds and the ground is varying shades of green.

The sketchbook (Item 201) contains an unfinished colour drawing similar to this artwork.

Drawing of a decorative white flat roofed building on a green hill with the text "Magicien" written in red on top of the roof. The blue sky contains white clouds.

The sketchbook (Item 201) contains an unfinished colour drawing similar to this artwork.

Watercolour painting of the front view of a Eryldene (house) and its front gardens.

This painting was created during Noela Hill's time residing her from September 1978.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Drawing of a washing line and thatched hut on stilts amongst palm trees.

This drawing was created in Brisbane based on observations Noela Hills made during her time visiting villages in Papua New Guinea. It was exhibited in the exhibition 'Still life' at Victor Mace's Cintra Road gallery. The work was not offered for sale. Noela Hills was in Papua New Guinea visiting her husband Robert Riddel who was there for work in 1980.

The sketchbook (Item 190) contains a preliminary lead pencil drawing for this artwork.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Drawing of a man reading a book with an exaggerated tongue protruding from his mouth.

This drawing was exhibited at Robin Gibsons Gallery, 9-27 May 1981, Sydney. It was also reproduced for the back illustration on the exhibition catalogue that accompanied the exhibition.

The sketchbook (Item 190) contains a preliminary lead pencil drawing for this artwork.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Drawing of a yellow building with a triangular roof.  The building's door is aqua and the doorway arched. The building also contains a high circular window. A tall tree is on each side of the building. The sky is blue and the ground green.

Drawing (rough) of the cover illustration for Woman in a lampshade. The drawing is of the head and shoulders of a woman wearing a wide brimmed hat set against a green tree covered hill.

Woman in a lampshade is a fictional book written by Elizabeth Jolley with cover illustration by Noela Hills.  It was published in 1983 by Penguin Books.

Drawing featuring various objects including a flower, envelope, glasses, paint brush, shell, insects and a piece of paper.

Pencil drawing of two people eating and drinking, one holding a fork with a prawn, the other a glass of wine.  The sea and sky are in the background.

This artwork was exhibited in the exhibition Scenes from a lost world, Robyn Gibson's gallery, Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, late May-13 June 1984. 

The sketchbook (Item 195) contains a preliminary lead pencil sketch for this artwork.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).
 

Drawing (portrait) of a woman with orange hair in a black and white striped slanted hat.

Drawing of a boy dressed in blue with a decorative collar.  The boy is standing in a field of grass with a blue sky and trees in the background.

The sketchbook (Item 195) contains a preliminary lead pencil sketch for this artwork.

Painting of palms and other plants by a path.

Print of a candle burning in an empty room with a louvred window.  A picture hangs on the back wall next to the window.  The picture is a smaller version of the print.

Transparencies of varying sizes and subjects including a large transparency of fields.

Pencil drawing of a woman and a leopard.  The woman is sitting on a stool dressed in a leopard coloured coat.  The leopard is sitting next to her admiring her coat.

This is an early example of one of many characters invented by Noela Hills. These characters were placed in humorous and unlikely situations. Noela continued to develop this theme over much of her career. 

This item also contains a draft of the drawing.

The sketchbooks (Items 199, 201) contain colour drawings similar to this artwork. The drawing in Item 199 is unfinished.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Sketch for the shopfront lettering of the Glasshouse, a co-op of glassblowers.  The letters "Glasshouse" are written in lead pencil capitals against a coloured red background on tracing paper.

Drawing of four pots containing unfinished sketches of plants.

Lead pencil portrait sketch of a woman using her hand to support her chin.

Screen prints of an outline of a building with a large sign attached to its roof.  The sign contains the text "Gino" on a blue background.

The prints are accompanied by a preliminary sketch and the transparency used for screen printing. The preliminary sketch is dated 1976.

The sketchbook (Item 179) contains a colour sketch and preliminary drawing of these artworks.

Watercolour painting of palm trees in a black and green landscape with a blue grey sky.

Painting of a house and gardens.

Black pen sketches, many focused around mental health.  This item contains two pages of sketches with 3 sketches on each page.

Lead pencil sketch (portrait) of a woman using her hand to support her chin.

Drawing of a red domed roof building with one large decorative window and four smaller arched windows. A green semicircle attached to a green vertical line is on top of the roof. A patterned red and green path lead towards the house. The blue sky contains white clouds and the ground is green.

Drawing of a flat roofed building with a decorative entrance surrounded by palm trees. The building contains two small arched windows and a decorative green and red pattern along the roof line. The ground is brown and the sky contains red clouds.

Drawing of a crowd beginning to walk through a narrow opening.  The note "Jane. Here's the cover for your bit...I made the figures more overshadowed and more indistinguishable.  I hope you like it. N." is written on the top right hand corner.

Drawing of a building next to a palm tree.

Drawing of Lake Trasimeno, Italy.

Pencil drawing of a building in a field of snow.  The building has smoke coming out of its chimneys and has green plants on the right and left hand sides.

This drawing was created while Noela Hills was in London. 

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Drawing of a woman in blue overalls sitting on a large jug while nursing a baby.

Lead pencil unfinished drawing (portrait) of a woman.  The face contains detailed shading whereas the hair contains only outlines.

Drawing of red tables with black chairs on the boulevarde next to the ocean.  A low white wall with an opening separates the boulevarde from the ocean.  Red and green bunting is attached to one side of the wall.

Drawing of a white building with a door and windows.  Wide steps lead up to the door which is framed by two decorative columns.  The building is situated on grass with a blue sky in the background.

Drawing of green cafe tables with pink chairs with trees and the cafe building in the background.

Noela created this drawing in Europe.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Drawing of a black silhouette of a palm tree by the ocean.

Drawing containing a carpet with a decorative design and a window overlooking a domed building.

Blue and yellow portraits of a woman's face repeated 4 time vertically down the page.  In each repetition the pen outline of the face is the same but the face is painted differently.

Drawing of a building containing a flat roof with domes and a decorative entrance surrounded by palm trees.

Drawing (portrait) of a woman.

Drawing of various underwater plants and fish.

Fourteen black pen sketches with a Christmas theme including reindeer and a cat decorated as a Christmas tree.  The sketches are on 2 sheets of paper.

Print (artist's proof) of a drawing of an easel and palette. The background is black, the easel and palette uncoloured.

Sketchbook (Item 179) contains a colour drawing of an easel standing in a grassy field with a palette containing coloured paint at its base. This may be a preliminary drawing of this artwork.

Drawing of a man playing a grand piano.

The sketchbooks (Item 177 and 179) each contain a sketch of this artwork, this is loose in sketchbook (Item177).

Drawing of a woman in a white jacket and slanted hat with a netted veil.  The woman is covered partly by a black illustration of a piece of material attached to the drawing's edges.

Lead pencil and black pen sketches for the letterhead for Robert Riddel Architect.

Drawing of a man in a brown coat and a woman in a thin strapped low cut red dress forward facing with their eyes turned towards each other.  A speech bubble has the man saying "This is the limit".

This drawing was commissioned by The Sunday Times to illustrate a review of a book by Celia Haddon titled The limits of sex.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Drawing of Barry Tuckwell playing the french horn.  The note "S. Times May 2 p. 69" is written on the right hand side.

This portrait of Barry Tuckwell was commissioned by The Sunday Times.

The sketchbook (Item 193) contains preliminary lead pencil sketches of this artwork. Other preliminary sketches can be found in item 55.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Various sketches, some colour, but mostly lead pencil. 

The majority of the sketches are preliminary works of the "The limits of sex" (Item 53) and "Barry Tuckwell, french horn player" (Item 54) artworks.  Sketches are on the front and back of the paper sheet.

These artworks were commissioned by The Sunday Times.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Drawing featuring separate side portraits of a man and a woman in the shape of a triangle above square drawings of geographical features suggestive of the male and (parts of) the female sexual anatomies.  The man and the woman are facing each other.

Colour portrait of a woman with the woman's outline and facial features outlined in black.

Black pen drawing of a woman in a long coat and sandals leaning on an umbrella.

Two circular coastal scenes featuring sand, the ocean, a headland and skyscrapers.  The artwork is the result of acrylic and watercolour painting.

Drawing of a mirror reflection of a woman reading a book titled "Life".

Drawing of a diary, ribbon and flower against a painted background.

Pen drawing of a person looking at a brown "picture".

Painting resembling traditional Indigenous art.

Drawing of a man and a woman standing behind the counter of a delicatessen. Behind them bottles, tins and packets line the shelves while sausages hang from a line. The counter contains scales, tins, a jar of olives and other goods.

The drawing may be related to the picture book Saturday morning illustrated by Noela Hills and published by Jacaranda Press, 1982. It is not part of the final publication.

Painting of a piece of paper, pastels, pear and knife on a brown and green background.

Drawing featuring shading here and there in an overall rectangular shape. A black backing board accompanies the art work (unattached).

This item contains illustrations proposed for the picture book Wild and woolly.

• colour drawing of the title, from the title page, and a colour illustration used in the children's book Wild and woolly.  The title is constructed from "woollen" letters with sheep's feet.  The illustration is of a sheep by a tea cup and is found on the page adjoining the title page in the book.
• colour drawing titled "Without their wool they were very speedy. Look out! yelled Mr. Matthew...".  The drawing is of a tired man in his pyjamas standing by the side of a road yelling "Look out!". Sheep frolic next to him.  A man driving a ute loaded with sheep's wool is on the road along with a sheep dog.
• colour drawing related to Wild and woolly. The illustration is of a man in his pyjamas emerging from a general store to find a man whistling to try and control a group of sheep that have escaped from the markets.  The illustration was to be used in pps 12-13 of the book but did not appear in final product.
• black and white pen drawing of the end papers of Wild and woolly on stiff board featuring white sheep on a black background, repeated.  This is accompanied by a black pen drawing on tracing paper featuring the outlines of the sheep, repeated, used in the end papers.

Wild and woolly is a children's picture book written by Nan Hunt and illustrated by Noela Hills.  It was published in 1983 by Lothian Publishing, Melbourne.

Other 'Wild and Woolly' artwork can be found in Item 172 and 283. Material regarding the project in general can be found in Item 202.

The sketchbook (Item 194) contains preliminary lead pencil sketches for artwork of Wild and woolly.

Black pen and lead pencil sketches that generally look at a woman's place in a family in a "tongue in cheek" manner.  Sketches depict a woman's role as producing and feeding babies and conforming to a manner of living that enables her husband to understand her. 

There is also a sketch of a round short boy asking his tall thin parents if he has been adopted.

Black ink text reading "The exotic charm of the irregular faces, the febrile and languid rhythm of the bodies arouse impressions of music in the soul of the observer."

This text was used in the colour drawing Self criticism described in Item 114.

Colour artwork in the shape of a rectangle.  The edges of the rectangle have been painted with black paint, over this and inside is black and green shading.  The back side of the artwork contains two black pen and lead pencil sketches each of a man holding a building in the palm of his hand.

Artwork for the cover of a wedding invitation to Mary Hill and Howard Tanner's wedding, January 21, 1984 accompanied by a three copies of the finished invitation and two other artworks.

The artwork consists of black pen drawings on stiff board overlaid with a transparency.  The drawing on stiff board is of a marquee surrounded by people - some dancing, some being offered food, some playing in a band, some walking away.  Black pen on the overlaying transparency provides the overall artwork's details.

The wedding invitations are laminated and contain the artwork described above printed onto its covers. Colourful "confetti" has been added to the artwork, overlaying it.

The other artworks each contain 1/2 the finished wedding invitation artwork. One contains coloured confetti.

The sketchbook (Item 194) contains notes and preliminary lead pencil and colour sketches for this artwork.

Drawing of a man and woman sitting on the opposite ends of a settee.  The man is playing the violin while watching the woman.  The woman is enjoying the performance, smiling with her eyes closed.

Drawing of a portrait of a woman using her fingers to stretch her mouth into a smile.

This drawing used to hang from Noela Hill's studio wall in 'La Scala', the home she shared with husband Robert Riddel in Brunswick Street, Brisbane.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).
 

This item contains:

• letters to Noela Hills from Penguin (publisher) regarding the artwork.
• two preliminary colour drawings (roughs).
• torn black and white photocopy of the finished front cover.
• final colour drawing accompanied by a letter to Robert Riddel from Penguin Books.

The non fiction book Not the marrying Kind : single women in Australia was written by Robyn Penman and Yvonne Stolk and published by Penguin Books 1983. Noela Hills created the artwork for the front cover.

Further material related to the overall project can be found in Item 205.

The sketchbook (Item 194) contains preliminary lead pencil sketches for this artwork.

Sketches (lead pencil and other) and a watercolour painting of mainly coastal landscapes featuring palms, headlands, beaches (including Cylinder Beach) and power poles.

This item contains artwork for a poster advertising the Paddo (Paddington) Street Christmas Festival, Brisbane:

• preliminary artwork of a bird (and sometimes text) on paper.
• tracing paper containing concept drawings.
• prints (including screen prints).
• photocopies.

The artwork is mainly black and white, one screen print is coloured.

This item also contains a colour screen print of the finished poster (48 x 34 cm).  The finished poster contains text and a large coloured picture of a bird.

A T-shirt for the event containing a matching print by Noela Hills can be found in Item 234.

Drawing of a black rectangle with an uncoloured slash through the middle on tracing paper.

Unfinished drawing of a woman and man (right) and city outline (left).  The woman is wearing swimmers beneath a round coat and carrying a hat in her left hand.  She is followed by a "butler" carrying a cloth over his right arm and a palm tree in a cylindrical container with a domed roof on the palm of his left hand. The background of the drawing has been partly coloured in.

Unfinished colour drawing of a woman standing behind a display of fruit.  A small number of lead pencil and/or colour sketches are on the back of the sheet of paper.

Two drawings, one of two clouds carrying friendly creatures with faces and wings, the other an unfinished drawing of buildings by the ocean.

Unfinished drawing of a vase of flowers and greenery.

Drawing of two women sun baking in their swimmers on beach towels laid out on the sand. A brown suitcase sits nearby.

Red screen print.

Black pen, lead pencil and colour sketches and notes on a variety of topics.

Black pen sketches on tracing paper including a birds head, bust of a man, a jug and a trophy.

Two paintings of large pink flowers mostly on the top of stems.  Paint runs fall from the bottom of the flowers, and some stems, to the bottom of the paper.

Drawing of a woman's head and hands.  The woman is wearing a flat black hat and is holding her fingers outstretched.

Unfinished drawing of a woman sitting on a chair restraining a dog with a leash.  Behind her is a railing and beyond that the sea.

Unfinished drawing of a woman sitting in a room, sleeping peacefully, with a cat on her lap.  One of her hands is resting on the cat.  The wall behind her contains VJ panels and an open curtained window.  Trees can be seen through the window.

Two paintings on 1 sheet of paper.

Unfinished drawing of three woman sitting around a round table enjoying a high tea.  One of the women is wearing a green hat. Behind them is a rectangular window of blue sky.

Unfinished drawing of a woman.

Unfinished drawing of a man and woman sitting on opposite sides of a square table enjoying baked sweats and a cup of tea.

A preliminary sketch of Three women at high tea (Untitled drawing) (Item 91) is on the back.

Green, blue, yellow and white rectangular screen print.

Silk screen print of the water with a white castle on the horizon. The red flags on the castle have been coloured in. This is print no. 7 of 8.

The screen print is of Shell Mex Castle, also known as 80 Strand. The building is located at 80 Strand, London, near the edge of the River Thames.

The sketchbook (Item 179) contains lead pencil and colour sketches of this artwork.

This screen print was exhibited at the Central School Degree show. Noela Hills enrolled in an Advanced Print Making course at the Central School of Art and Design, London, in 1975.

(Information provided by the donor has contributed to this description).

Painting of a wall with a louvred window.

Two unfinished drawings.

Drawing of the SS Rostrophovich (Russian ship) at sea.

Colour drawing of an open doorway through which a ship can be seen. 

The back contains a colour print consisting of small lines at varying angles and densities.

This item contains lead pencil sketches, transparencies containing screen print designs and various colour and black and white screen prints on paper.

The sketchbook (Item 179) contains preliminary colour drawings of these artworks.

Two screen prints each featuring a colour city scape (bottom) and a group of people in black and white on a verandah (top). The screen prints are accompanied by a transparency used to screen print the work containing the black outline of the city scape.

The sketchbook (Item 175) contains a preliminary lead pencil drawing of the group of people on the verandah titled 'Queensland 1910'. The following page in the sketchbook contains a preliminary sketch of the city scape (bottom) with a smaller empty outline of a black rectangle (top, where the artwork 'Queensland 1910' would sit) titled 'Pioneers 1910'.

This work has an Australian theme and was one of the first prints Noela Hills completed during her Advanced Print Making course at the Central School of Art and Design, London.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).
 

Screen print of a woman lying on a settee by a window while a man approaches to deliver a glass of wine.

This is a draft of the colour silk screen print Florence created in 1976.

This print was created using the facilities of the Central School of Art and Design following the recent completion of Noela Hill's Advanced Print Making course at this school.

The finished artwork can be found at Item 278. 

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Colourful painting containing birds and a winged human.

Two paintings on the one sheet of paper.  The first is a colour painting of a woman's face next to a red flower. The second is a colour painting of narrow angled cone shaped glass, similar to a martini glass.

Five sheets of screen prints. The screen prints are of a "black head with eyes" on a red and blue patterned background. The colour of the eyes varies, sometimes white, but mostly pink.

The sheets are accompanied by a smaller screen print of the red and blue pattern with the text "Noela Hills" on the blue.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Painting of whole and cut fruit.

This painting may be the work of another artist.

Two screen prints of a narrow gorge. The left hand side of the gorge is green, the right side is brown. Red birds fly through the sky over the green side of the gorge.

The sketchbooks (Item 179, 189) contain preliminary colour drawings of this artwork.

Various black pen sketches including those of a

• woman's head.
• the same woman eating fruit with the sketch showing only her head, upper torso, arms and hands.
• two sketches of the same woman wearing a hat topped with various fruits with the sketch showing only her head and upper torso.  In one of the sketches the hat has a veil.
• the same woman sitting with her elbows resting on a table eating fruit.
• a plate of fruit.

There is also a shopping list.

Drawing of a round table by the sea. A half empty bottle of Cinzano alcohol, a glass of wine and a Cinzano ash tray sit on the table top. Palm trees are next to the table, on the far side.

Drawing of two women playing musical instruments on a wooden stage. The woman are surrounded by circles of "light" (the stage lights) illuminating them as they play.  The woman in blue on the left is playing a grand piano. The woman on the right in red is playing a cello.

Drawing of a woman in a red coat knitting with blue wool.  Lattice work behind her holds 2 letters and a postcard.

The sketchbook (Item 193) contains a preliminary lead pencil sketch of the lattice work in this artwork.

Two silk screen prints of a large blue and black bird standing on the ground casting a grey shadow.  A tall brown building, trees and other plants line the horizon.  This item contains screen prints no. 7 and 9 of 12.

This drawing was exhibited at Robin Gibsons Gallery, 9-27 May 1981, Sydney.

The sketchbook (Item 190) contains preliminary drawings and notes for this artwork.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Two silk screen prints of a man in blue playing a violin against a green background.  Musical chords stream from his left ear to the edge of the screen print. The item contains screen prints no. 7 and 9 of 12.

This drawing was exhibited at Robin Gibsons Gallery, 9-27 May 1981, Sydney.

The sketchbook (Item 190) contains preliminary drawings for this artwork.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Drawing of two women sitting in a room next to a table with a vase of pink flowers.  The women are sitting on timber chairs with striped upholstered seats.  The room has red carpet and a striped grey wall. The woman on the left is in blue, the one on the right is in red. The room opens onto a wooden verandah behind them via two sets of french doors one of which is partly open.

Two identical prints of a poster featuring Noela Hill's artwork An old flame, 1981' produced by the National Trust of Queensland. The artwork contains a colour picture of Anzac Square and the War Memorial with its eternal flame.

The sketchbook (Item 190) contains a preliminary lead pencil sketch for this artwork.

Screen print of rockets and a sailing boat on a cream background set against a blue sea and a blue/green sky with white clouds.

Two silk screen prints of a woman in blue and white wearing a black hat and holding a red rose with her lower private parts exposed. The coloration of the woman differs slightly between screen prints. One of the screen prints is an artists proof.

This drawing was exhibited at Robin Gibsons Gallery, 9-27 May 1981, Sydney.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Six similar paintings of a desert oasis with a mountain in the background. The oasis features a number of plants including palm trees, grass trees and fruiting pineapple plants. The paintings have two different colourations (4 one way, 2 another).

The note "Dear Shan, just happened to be passing by. Ring me (3585826) to talk about this. Love Noela" is written on the back of one of the sheets of artworks.

Included in this item are the transparencies for screen printing the work.

Oval lead pencil drawing of various objects including a cactus and palm in individual pots, a glass bottle, roses and containers.

This painting may be the work of another artist.

Poster (original) protesting the demolition of the Cloudland Ballroom, Bowen Hills, Brisbane. The poster features a pink and white representation of part of the interior of the Cloudland Ballroom. The words "Love me, Brisbane" are in red and pink beneath with "Love" crossed out and replaced by "Save".

This is accompanied by a coloured print of the poster onto blue paper published by the National Trust of Queensland.

The Cloudland Ballroom was demolished in 1982.

The sketchbook (Item 193) contains preliminary lead pencil sketches for this artwork.

Drawing of a woman in yellow against an orange background admiring herself in a framed mirror.  There is also a small reflection of the reflection in the lower part of the drawing.

This drawing was exhibited at the Thumb Gallery, London, opening 1st December 1981.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Poster (original) protesting the demolition of Her Majesty's Theatre, Queen Street, Brisbane. The poster features a black and white drawing of Her Majesty's Theatre. The words "Love me, Brisbane" are in red and black beneath with "Love" crossed out and replaced by "Save".

This is accompanied by a coloured print of the poster published by the National Trust of Queensland.

Her Majesty's Theatre was demolished on 23 October 1983 despite community protest.

Two black outline drawings (portraits) of a woman's head accompanied by two pages of notes.  One page of notes refers to the clothing store "Camargue".

Two colour prints of finished posters for the Paddo (Paddington) Christmas Street Festival, December 13, 1984.  The prints feature a seated smiling clown juggling various hats against a blue background. A placard rests against the clown's torso reading "Paddo Christmas Street Festival, December 13, 1984.  At the base of the poster text reads "This poster is a fundraising project for the Childrens Activities Group Assoc."

The posters are accompanied by a similar colour print containing all the details of the finished product minus the writing on the placard which has been replaced by the text "il griocoliere" and an early black and white draft (original) containing only a black pen outline of the features of the finished poster.

A copy of the poster (print) of An old flame (item 169) is on the back of the draft.

Drawing of a man in a grey jacket and striped tie sitting on a chair smoking.  Next to him are two empty chairs.

Drawing of a woman wearing a mustard coloured head dress and brown clothing.  She is holding an open book in her left hand while her right hand points to the words on the right hand page of the book.  The words read "The exotic charm of the irregular faces and febrile and languid rhythm of the bodies arouse impressions of music in the soul of the observer".

Item 69 contains a draft of this text.

The sketchbook (Item 196) contains a preliminary lead pencil sketch of this artwork.

Mock-ups of some of the proposed pages for the book Angry Albert. The mock-ups consist of text and colour and black and white drawings. The are also some preliminary drawings of Albert.

Further Angry Albert artwork is located in Item 170.

The fictional children's book Angry Albert was written by Aliacia Braithwaite and illustrated by Noela Hills. It was published by Collins in 1987.

Screen print of two rectangles, the first resembling a dial, the second containing shading and different angled lines. This screen print is no 4 of 10.

The sketchbook (Item 175) contains preliminary sketches and drawings for this artwork.

Drawing of a man in dark blue sitting at a round table, holding an old fashioned pen in his right hand. His inspiration, a framed picture of a woman, is sitting on the table alongside two pages of writing.

This drawing was exhibited at the Thumb Gallery, London, opening 1st December 1981.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Large framed colour oil painting of a woman wearing a turban and black clothing with a scooped neckline.  The wall behind her contains two windows revealing an exterior of domed buildings with clocks with different times.

Noela Hills by now had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and had not long to live. The clocks perhaps suggest time was running out.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Drawing of a man in a suit dancing on top of a globe of the Earth. He is unsuccessfully juggling a number of items including a film reel, house, pear, desert island, a playing card  and a calculator. The globe is held in position by the pound and dollar symbols.

A note on the bottom reads "Illustration by Noela Hills copyright 1984 for the 'Age' 7.11.84"

The drawing is covered by a sheet of tracing paper.

The sketchbook (Item 195) contains preliminary lead pencil sketches and a photocopy of the finished product for this artwork.

Lead pencil and black pen sketch of a man sitting on a lounge chair reading a book about similar chairs. The sketch is drawn on a brown paper bag.

Mainly lead pencil and pen drawings of lounge and living rooms. Some drawings are in colour while others are complimented by black watercolour painting.

Drawings proposed for pages 6-9, 16-19, 22-23, 28-29 and 32 of the fictional children's book Prisoner of the Mulligrubs. Some of the drawings are accompanied by notes, author unknown.

Text from the book accompanies a rough page layout.

Prisoner of the Mulligrubs is a children's picture book written by Nan Hunt and illustrated by Noela Hills.  It was published by Collins in 1985.

Material regarding the project in general can be found in Item 202.

Unfinished drawing of a boy at the breakfast table eating a hot plate of cereal.  The boy has a napkin tucked into his shirt front. A parrot is perched by the window.

This drawing may have been proposed for Prisoner of the Mulligrubs a children's picture book written by Nan Hunt and illustrated by Noela Hills.  It was published by Collins in 1985.

Unfinished drawing of a woman wearing a fox stole over her shoulders. The words "Foxy baby Elizabeth Jolley" are part of the top of the drawing.

The drawing is accompanied with a sheet containing preliminary layouts and text ideas.

The sketchbook (Item 195) contains a preliminary lead pencil sketch for this artwork.

Drawing separated into 3 panes, the first and last of male and female bottoms and the middle of a bucket of paint and a used wide paint brush. The text "UQP" is written beneath the drawing.

Screen prints of a parts of a person including the face, hands and legs, on both sides of the sheet.

Watercolour painting of a long thin fish.

Unfinished drawing centering on a woman holding a yellow triangle. Part of the woman's face is missing (has been cut out).

Finished watercolour painting of a green landscape featuring palm trees and a grey, purple and pink sky. This is accompanied by two preliminary watercolours containing early versions of the sky (only).

Black pen sketch of a naked woman looking in an empty drawer accompanied by the text "Having your heart stolen is a real nuisance".  Beneath is a preliminary version of the same sketch.

The sheet also contains stylised text that reads "The sensible girls guide to romance".

Two unfinished drawings of wreaths, one circular and colour, the other rectangular and predominately black and white.

Watercolour (portrait) of a woman.  The woman is looking downwards and appears sad.

Artwork (portrait) of a man through a structure.  The artwork is a combination of watercolour painting and drawing.

Two drawings containing French food. The first is unfinished and contains a full cup of coffee and part of a croissant on a table cloth with a square red pattern. The second is finished and contains a plate of snails and two eating utensils.

Black pen sketch of a person, possibly wearing a kimono.

The sketchbook (Item 196) contains a  preliminary sketch of this artwork.

Drawing for the cover illustration for the novel Dog rock.  The drawing is accompanied by the note "George Dale, Penguin Books Ltd. Finished art for Dog rock. David Foster by Noela Hills, 1984".

Dog Rock : a postal pastoral is a fictional novel written by David Foster, with cover illustration by Noela HIlls. it was published by Penguin Books in 1985.

Black pen drawing of a woman undertaking a job interview. The woman is nervous with her arms gripping the arms rests on the chair, her legs twisted in knots and a thought bubble that indicates her mind is blank.  Only the interviewer's hand is visible.  The interviewer is deciding which category the candidate fits into "suitable, unsuitable or obviously self-deluded and undergoing therapy".

Black pen drawings of illustrations for the novel Nightmarkets. The illustrations are of various characters in the book and are on the first page of of each chapter. Included in this item are illustrations for the prologue and chapters 1-9.

Nightmarkets is a fictional novel written by Alan Wearne, published by Penguin Books with the assistance of the Literature Board of the Australia Council, 1986 (copyright 1985).

Two screen prints of a narrow double storey house with a picket fence and an upper storey veranda.

Black pen sketch of a young child with purple watercolour paint covering most of the child and parts of the surrounding page.

Watercolour featuring stripes of different shades of blue. The waterolour is in a pad of watercolour paper, the pages of which are all stuck together, bar the top to the cover.

Black lead pencil sketches of three people.  The sketches are of the heads and sometimes the upper torso or the full body. The face of one of the sketches has been partly coloured red.

Lead pencil sketches (portraits) of a woman.  The sketches are on both sides of the sheet of paper and are similar, with the lips of one portrait coloured with lead and red pencil.

Unfinished drawing of a woman with prominent breasts and puckered lips beckoning a man towards her.  The man has his eyes closed and is frowning.

Sketches in black pen of three people, two women and a man.

• one woman is frowning with stiff downward pointing arms. There is a preliminary sketch of this woman's head on the reverse side of the sheet of paper.
• the man is wearing stubbies with a shirt containing a message that reads 'No nukes'.
• the other woman is wearing a shirt and skirt and is carrying a book, pencil and hand bag.

Painting of a mermaid with a white torso, blonde hair and a blue grey tail set against a blue background.

Cardboard mask with two eye holes attached to a short piece of wooden dowel. The front of the mask has been painted in black and greys with watercolour paints. The back of the mask has been spray painted gold.

The mask was created for a ball at the Canberra Hotel.

Small oil paintings (portraits) of 5 women.

Doorway sign for Noela Hill's studio in the Community Arts Centre, Edward Street. The sign has been partially painted and contains the text "Room 10: Noela Hills".

Unfinished artwork for the cover for the January 1987 issue of The Cane Toad Times. The artwork contains painting (watercolour and otherwise) and pen and lead pencil drawing.

The artwork is accompanied by an envelope from Damien Ledwich, The Cane Toad Times, 823 Main Street, Kangaroo Point to Noela Hills, 'La Scala', 517 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley.

Drawing of a woman holding a giant prawn and half a lemon. The woman is looking at the prawn, smiling.

Flier containing black text reading "Noela Hills : Flat 2, 91 Moray Street, New Farm, telephone 3585826 : please note change of address but not phone number".

Six pages of assorted pen and lead pencil sketches and notes.  The pages are attached at the top.

Flier (photocopy) featuring a woman holding a phone in one hand and a pencil in the other and the text "Noela Hills, Illustrator (07) 3585826".

Drawing of diamonds repeated in a pattern. The diamonds are coloured many different colours.

Drawing of a woman in blue standing with her hands held together and mouth open in a "shout".  She is standing against a pink and black patterned floor and a pink wall. A picture hanging from the wall contains a landscape of tall trees against a stormy sky with lightning striking the ground.

The sketchook (Item 190) contains a preliminary drawing for this artwork.

Silk screen print of yellow flowers on green "grassy" plants next to a brown fence. Two urns sit on top of the fence.  Beyond the fence is the darker toned blue ground and sky. This is screen print no. 4 of 12.

This drawing was exhibited at Robin Gibsons Gallery, 9-27 May 1981, Sydney.

The sketchbook (Item 196) contains a preliminary lead pencil sketch of this artwork.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Large framed drawing of a woman in purple clothing with a white frilled neck holding a small round framed portrait of a man. The women has several rings on her fingers.

The text 'Anno 1982' has been written in the top left hand side of the drawing.

Screen print of a woman lying on a settee by a window while a man approaches to deliver a glass of wine. A domed building, and other buildings, can be seen through a square window above the settee.

This is print 1 of 13.

This print was created using the facilities of the Central School of Art and Design following the recent completion of Noela Hill's Advanced Print Making course at this school.

A draft of this screen print can be found at Item 102.

(Information provided by the donor contributed to this description).

Drawing of a man in a bow tie, grey waistcoat with a fancy blue and red trim and red pants standing by an ornate 'marbled' empty fireplace. A vase of red flowers sits on the left hand side of the fire place and a portrait of a lady in an ornate gold frame hangs above the fireplace.

Drawing of a vase of reddish flowers. The vase is short, squat and transparent with the text 'Mattro Stagioni'. The flowers have long stems that protrude horizontally out of the vase  The stems have long leaves and are mainly found along the stems in the vase. The flowers and vase give slight reflections on the surface the vase is sitting on.

Drawing of a man offering a woman a light for her cigarette. The man is wearing a white coat and blue pants, the woman a spotted orange dress. The pair are set against a coloured 'stone' ground with a fence in the background marking the end of the ground and showing the sea beyond. White clouds and a blue sky are on the horizon.

Drawing of a portrait of an oriental woman in bed, perhaps with somebody else. The drawing is presented in 3 frames with the portrait predominately in the middle frame. The left and right frames mainly contain bedcovers.

This item contains illustrations proposed for the picture book Wild and woolly:

• drawing titled 'He almost went to sleep pondering the problem, but he was a persistent man so he stayed awake'. The drawing is of a man and a woman lying in bed, the man lying awake pondering something.
• drawing titled 'His dogs and Mr Martin's dog had a fight'. The drawing is of 3 dogs fighting within a semi-circle of sheep. A man in his pyjamas is lunging forward to stop the fight.
• drawing titled 'I'll have a cup of tea or two or three first, he said to himself'. The drawing is of a man in his pyjamas yawning as he walks down his front steps from a veranda. Open doors on the veranda show a woman sound asleep in bed.
• drawing titled 'Mr Martin counted them as they slept. They were one hundred and twenty-seven!'. The drawing contains a portrait of a man in his pyjamas with the text '127' overlaying his forehead. Many shorn sheep lie asleep to his left as well as a tired sheep dog resting in a pond filled with flowering water-lillies.

All the drawings were used to illustrate the published book.

Wild and woolly is a children's picture book written by Nan Hunt and illustrated by Noela Hills.  It was published in 1983 by Lothian Publishing, Melbourne.

Other 'Wild and Woolly' artwork can be found in Item 172. Material regarding the project in general can be found in Item 202.

The sketchbook (Item 194) contains preliminary lead pencil sketches for artwork of Wild and woolly.

Drawing of a portrait of a short haired woman wearing a purple coat with her fingers of her two hands intertwined in front of her chest. The portrait is in an ornate frame of small leaves.

This item contains:

• letters to Noela from Anne Bower Ingram OAM (William Collins, publisher).
• text from the book including break downs of which text will appear on what pages.
• preliminary illustrations, some colour, some accompanied with text.
• mock-ups
  • mock-ups containing text and coloured illustrations.
  • mock-ups containing the proposed title page with text and a black and white illustration as well as pages containing text only.
  • a larger mock-up of the title page containing text only.
• proof

Angry Albert mock ups can also be found in Item 127.

The children's book "Angry Albert" was written by Alicia Braithwaite and illustrated by Noela Hills. It was published by Collins in 1987.

The letters were from Anne Bower Ingram OAM who worked for William Collins for many years (AustLit website, viewed May 2022). The correspondence contained here deals specifically with the illustrations and general layout of pages in Angry Albert. Further correspondence related to the overall project can be found in Item 202.

This item contains:

• rough breakdown of what text should appear on what page.
• a page plan.
• photocopied pictures of goannas.
• preliminary black pen illustrations, some accompanied with text.
• colour illustrations, some accompanied with text
• black and white mock up containing printed illustrations and text
• folder "Goanna: text artwork" containing
  • colour illustrations as ideas for the cover
  • colour drawings (portraits) of Jenny Wagner and Noela Hills for the back cover flap
  • notes on the illustrations
  • correspondence between Noela from Penguin (the publisher) regarding the illustrations.
• proof

The children's book Goanna was written by Jenny Wagner and illustrated by Noela Hills. It was published by Viking Kestrel, Penguin Books, in 1988.

The correspondence contained here deals specifically with the illustrations and general layout of pages in Goannna. Further correspondence related to the overall project can be found in Item 205.

This item contains:

• letters detailing changes to the proposed illustrations and layout, mostly between Lothian (publisher) and Noela.
• various versions of text from the book broken down into what text should appear on what page.
• preliminary lead and colour pencil title page layout with text and illustrations accompanied by a black and white photocopy.
• preliminary colour pencil sample drawing of the artwork to be used on the end papers accompanied by a black and white photocopy.
• various lead pencil and colour mock ups of the book containing illustrations, text or black text boxes to indicate the position of text.
• various black and white photocopies of mock ups containing illustrations, text or black text boxes to indicate the position of text.
• proposed layouts of various pages containing drawings and sometimes text, some roughs.
• envelope containing the text for the book cut into various pieces.
• larger sheets of text from the book, some with sections removed.

The children's book Wild and woolly was written by Nan Hunt and illustrated by Noela Hills. It was published by the Lothian Publishing Company in 1983.

Some of the correspondence from Lothian Publishing was from Anne Bower Ingram OAM who served as a book consultant for Louis Lothian from 1982 (AustLit website, viewed May 2022). The correspondence contained here deals specifically with the illustrations and general layout of pages in Wild and Woolly. Further correspondence related to the overall project can be found in Item 202.

Artwork for Wild and Wooly can also be found in items 67 and 283.

The sketchbook (Item 194) contains preliminary lead pencil sketches for artwork of Wild and Woolly.

Framed drawing of a single tree in a green field beneath a blue sky.

On back of frame: 'On the 2nd of July 1987, Noela + Scott, together with Bob, Nina + Mick, organised Nell's 6th birthday party. Later at a Cancer Care Group meeting, Noela drew her "Life Tree". Noela died 17 days later. - Jan. 1998. Nina is now 15 years old, Nell 16. They each, in their own ways, bear strong resemblance to Noela, and they are young women who Noela would have been excited by - she would have loved them greatly, as I do. Janine.'

Scribble using a number of colours.

On back of frame 'Noela's last drawing. A "counsellar"/support person (Andrew Watson) asked her in the morning if she thought she could draw how she was feeling. Noela drew with passion, anger, fear + pain. She died that evening.'

This item contains a range of smaller art works created by Noela Hills.

• black and white pen and lead pencil drawings.
• colour drawings, one titled Misplaced heart, dated 1986.
• colour paintings.
• colour screen prints.
• mock-up of brochures for San Souci, a holiday house on North Stradbroke Island. The mock-up contains text and photographs, creator unknown. There are also photocopies of the finished brochure.
• a small variety of transparencies including one containing a print or photocopy of Christmas puddings, 1975-1987?. A lead pencil drawing of this is in sketchbook (Item 176).
• black and white print.

This sketchbook contains material collected, and mostly created by Noela Hills. Noela's partner, Robert Riddel, may have drawn some of the buildings and building details. 

• sketches and drawings, some in lead pencil, some in colour.
• many are of places Noela visited while in England and when travelling in Europe.
• sketches generally include landscapes, buildings and building details and people (including portraits and facial features).
• lead pencil drawings include those of a woman sitting at a counter (unfinished); a woman wearing a cross; and a fire place in Liverpool.
• colour drawings include those of a flower; mountains; a tennis court at Lynton; an interior of a room in Samos; a blue sky dotted with small white clouds and the sun; and a mostly empty landscape.
• preliminary lead pencil drawings of the artwork Pioneers 1910, Item 101.
• preliminary colour sketches and drawings of the untitled artwork in Item 128.
• preliminary lead pencil drawing titled Christmas puddings. A transparency containing a print or photocopy of a larger version of this can be found in 'Miscellaneous small works', Item 174.
• various notes including those relating to the places she has visited and about various art techniques.
• the sketch book also contains dried flowers and leaves.

This sketchbook contains material collected, and mostly created by Noela Hills. Noela's partner, Robert Riddel, may have drawn some of the architectural drawings. 

• lead pencil and pen (black and colour) sketches and drawings.
• some of the sketches and drawings are of places Noela visited while in England and when travelling in Europe.
• lead pencil isometric and other architectural drawings related to the Super Studio exhibition, 4 July 1975.
• various drawings (some pen) of buildings and building features, some architectural, including dimensioned floor plans.
• sketches of furniture, predominately chairs, some with dimensions and design notes.
• lead pencil or black pen sketches of shoes, cars, boats and faces.
• colour drawings of tiles.
• variety of notes, some on wood and boats.
• newspaper clippings including an advertisement for a 1937 Bentley and a map of Bordeaux, France.
• photograph of the back of a woman looking at an art exhibition, Fulham Rd, 1976.
• loose paper containing a sketch of the artwork Concerto, Item 50.
• unused colour postcards of Captains House (museum, location unknown) and of the Ritz Hotel, London.
• loose ephemera including a business card for the Daquise Ltd restaurant cafe, London; used Italian postage stamp on paper, dated July 1974 and a used ticket to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

This spiral bound sketchbook contains material collected and mostly created by Noela Hills. Noela's partner, Robert Riddel, may have drawn the house plans.

• lead pencil and colour sketches.
• finished lead pencil drawing of part of a building.
• black pen sketches of a bike, women and clothing.
• notes about art and opera performances in Italy.
• loose docket for art supplies dated April 1977.
• simple dimenisoned plans of a house.

This sketchbook contains material created by Noela Hills:

• lead pencil and colour sketches and drawings, many titled.
• some of the sketches and drawings were of places she had visited.
• lead pencil sketches include those of: a sailing boat; buildings; a portrait of a man (possibly Robert Riddel); and chairs.
• colour sketches include those of landscapes and a house.
• lead pencil drawings include those of: fields and building structures in Toscana; a portrait of a man (unfinished); buildings; and building details of the county and Ducal Palace in Urbino, Italy.
• colours drawings include those of:
  • people, including a person sleeping; a woman standing in a long green coat; a portrait; a woman playing the violin; sunbathers; a spectacled man reading a book; a girl with a bird; a woman kneeling with her arms outstretched towards another woman seated on a couch; a woman singing while playing the guitar; a woman reading a book; and a que of men lining up to ring a doorbell (unfinished).
  • buildings and scenery in Kuranda, Queensland; and landscapes.
  • food and drink.
  • an airplane.
  • flowers.
  • a drawing featuring the sea, a cornish pastie and a cup of tea.
  • food and drink; a portrait of a woman; an airplane; flowers; and a backyard.
• colour sketch and preliminary drawing of the artworks in Gino, Item 26.
• lead pencil and colour sketches of the artwork Shellmex, Item 95.
• colour preliminary drawing of the artworks in Wallpaper, Item 100.
• preliminary colour drawing of the artwork Migration, Item 107.
• a colour drawing of an easel standing in a grassy field with a palette containing coloured paint at its base. This may be a preliminary drawing of the untitled artwork in Item 49.
• notes (some loose) about art (hers and others), her travels in Italy including visits to the Ducal Palace and the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore as well as recipes.

Spine label: 1976.

This sketchbook mostly contains material created by Noela Hills. There are also a small number of works by Noela's partner Robert Riddel and Bob Martin.

• black pen, lead pencil and colour sketches and/or drawings, many titled.
• black pen sketches of:
  • the children's crossing sign at Smith Street School, Smithy Street E.I. and other Smith Street School building details. Some of these drawings have similarities to the cover of 'Design for special needs', Item 215, created by Noela.
  • two portraits of men - one with oriental characteristics, the other sporting a bow tie, spiky hair, glasses and a cigar.
• colour pen sketches featuring a cat in indoor settings.
• lead pencil sketches of:
  • a man at a beach; a man with his arms crossed.
  • a couple at a wedding.
  • portrait of Noela by Robert Riddel.
  • portrait of Noela by Bob Martin.
• black pen and lead pencil sketch (portrait) of a woman.
• lead pencil sketches and drawings of Bob Martin (portraits); the interior of a room; and the front of a building.
• colour pencil sketch of a 'landscape' featuring two breasts (mountains); a woman at a beach; and a boat.
• colour drawing of:
  • a birthday cake.
  • a birthday cake sitting on a table by a window of blue sky with clouds.
  • a hedge behind a picket fence.
• many notes written by Noela, mostly about her art but also the art of others. The notes are mostly dated and in chronological order.

This sketchbook mostly contains material created by Noela Hills. The dimensioned drawings may have been drawn by her partner Robert Riddel. 

• lead pencil and colour (pen and other) sketches and drawings (or a combination of these), many titled.
• lead pencil sketches of cats.
• lead pencil sketches and drawings (one unfinished) of buildings.
• lead pencil and colour sketches of buildings and building features.
• colour and black and white sketches and drawings of birds.
• colour sketch of a woman's facial features.
• lead pencil drawings of portraits (woman, baby); a woman embracing a swan.
• unfinished black and white drawing of a man conducting another man playing the cello; and a town hall.
• colour drawings of:
  • vases of flowers (eg. irises, red flowers); cacti.
  • people in various settings including a wedding couple next to a table containing a vase of flowers; a ballerina dancing; the back of a woman wearing a wide brimmed hat and swimsuit at the beach (unfinished); a naked woman leaning back on a chair; a woman reclining on a long blue lounge in a red dress with a book; a figure playing tennis (unfinished); and a magician holding a rabbit (unfinished).
  • furniture including a lounge; and a red upholstered chair next to a round table containing tea. 
  • yellow pyramid with a red shadow against a blue/black sky; red and blue table and chairs next to a yellow and blue pyramid at dawn.
  • a building.
• colour pencil and black pen drawing of vintage motorcars.
• colour drawing (pen and other) of a man conducting a group of musicians.
• lead pencil dimensioned architectural drawings of a dresser and table.
• notes, some about other people's art.

Spine label: 1977

This sketchbook contains material created by Noela Hills:

• drawings or sketches drawn using black pen, lead pencil, colour pencil, or a combination of these.
• colour drawings of:
  • unfinished colour drawing of three woman having tea.
  • two woman, one standing, one sitting, at separate red round tables shaded by blue umbrellas being assisted by waiters.
  • man playing the cello while another man plays the violin while sitting on the shoulders of the first man, a sketch of the artwork 'Overture' finished in 1978.
  • unfinished drawing of a red haired woman having a drink.
  • orange haired lady in a large yellow dress with black legs and shoes.
• black pen drawings of:
  • man and a woman sitting in deck chairs.
  • woman walking by the water, with a deck chair, palm tree, water and folded newspaper in the background.
  • two man playing the violin and the cello to a couple who are clapping in appreciation.
  • man, two women and a dog begging.
• unfinished black pen and colour pencil drawing of a man and woman hailing a taxi.
• loose paper containing a black pen portrait of a lady with her mouth wide open revealing her teeth and the text "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth".

On front cover 'Noela Hills April 1978'

This sketchbook contains material created by Noela Hills:

• lead pencil, black pen and colour (pen and other) sketches and drawings (or a combination of these), many titled. There is also artwork created using watercolours. 
• many sketches and drawings of Eryldene (house).
  • lead pencil drawings of a veranda; the teahouse; part of the backyard containing plants and towels handing on a washing line.
  • colour pencil drawings of the garden; and an exterior arched door in a wall and its surrounds.
• lead pencil sketches of a building; a car; building structures and furniture; and a man standing smoking.
• colour pen sketches of a woman in a striped top; and rhododendron flowers.
• black pen and colour pencil sketches of people's faces (portraits).
• lead pencil drawings of people, buildings, building interiors and plants:
  • people in a variety of settings such as a man playing a long brass instrument; a woman sitting at a round table by the beach drinking and smoking; a drawing of a room containing man playing the violin (unfinished), a woman playing a grand piano to a dog, a Lebanese cook in a kitchen, drinking; and Noela's shadow in Sydney.
  • buildings such as Lloyd Rees' house; a double storey house; and the front and gardens of a cottage in Parramatta.
  • room interiors such as a room featuring rugs and an upholstered chair by a fire place with a decorative mantle; a drawing of a chair on a patterned floor with a decorative window on the far side (unfinished).
  • trees; a garden; a tree near a park bench in the botanical gardens, Sydney; and a rural landscape containing a horse.
• colour drawings of:
  • a parrot.
  • people in a variety of settings including a red haired woman hunched over on a small stool reading a book; and Bob Riddel seated and gagged.
  • buildings such as a pink decorative house with a flat roof and tall trees.
  • Tuscany.
  • Jacaranda flowers; and fruit.
• a written but unsent postcard from Noela and Bob from Scotland.
• notes about places visited as well as her developing relationship with Robert Riddel and her evolving life.

Spine label: 1978

This sketchbook contains material created or collected by Noela Hills:

• lead pencil and colour pencil sketches.
• lead pencil sketches of a man playing pool; a landscape containing a house and trees; buildings and structures; and cars. 
• colour pencil drawings of a woman eating seafood (unfinished); and a woman sitting on a settee (unfinished).
• colour photograph of children wearing the same dresses, photographer unknown.
• loose watercolour painting over a lead pencil sketch of a chair.
• loose certificate that admits Noela into the Society of Green Bottle Collectors, September 1978.

Front cover of sketchbook: 1978 Sydney.

This sketchbook contains material created by Noela Hills:

• lead pencil sketches, many titled.
• lead pencil sketches of chickens; houses on stumps; a man playing the piano; portraits; a man playing the cello; and a woman in a decorative dress.
• lead pencil drawings of 84 Gregory Street, Toowong; Brisbane CBD buildings including a church; a park bench and palm trees; a bathroom and the hallway of Eryldene (house).
• notes documenting the procedure of making coil pots.