Country Always

Caring for Country

A Corner of the Empire

The Garden Palace

The Holding Pen

The Agricultural Hall

Regional Networks

Across New South Wales

A Museum of Doing

Technological Museum

Expanding Stories

Evolution of the Castle Hill site from botanical research station to Museum Discovery Centre

Transforming the Tramsheds

Powerhouse Stage 1 and the Harwood Building

A Symbol in Time

Sydney Observatory

Ongoing Transformations

Powerhouse Ultimo

Applied Arts and Sciences

Defining the terms in the 21st century

Joseph Douglas

Generations Fellow

Powerhouse Renewal

A transformative renewal program across four sites

We Rise

Blak Powerhouse

Powerhouse-1 Mission Launch to the ISS

An initiative of the Powerhouse: Future Space program

2024

Exoskeleton

Powerhouse Parramatta

Powerhouse Parramatta Topping Out

Major construction milestone achieved for the new museum

2023

Stories

Joseph Douglas

Generations Fellow

Somehow this place makes me feel light as a feather, perhaps it is the metric tonnes of brick and mortar surrounding me, or the gargantuan engine of the soviet rocket ship inside the museum.

Joseph Douglas, aka Joey Leigh Wagtail, is a Dunghutti/Gumbaynggirr man hailing from South West Rocks who has been playing and writing music since high school. Coming from a lineage of musicians, Douglas has developed an eclectic style that continues to evolve.

The Powerhouse Generations Fellowship connects artists with established industry experts and mentors, to pass on intergenerational knowledge and create pathways in the music industry. Between November 2022 and April 2023, Douglas was in residence at Powerhouse to develop his music and explore instruments in the collection.

Joseph Douglas sits crossed legged on the floor in front of a row of guitar amps. In the background is a shelf lined with guitar cases.

Joseph Douglas seen from behind standing in front of three shelves filled with various wooden objects.

Learning the history of the place, particularly how it was built and by whom, gives me a daily reminder that I walk on the shoulders of giants. My ancestors, they were the first to master aerodynamics with the invention of the boomerang and seeing how far human ingenuity has come since then, baffles me but also inspires, that I too have a part to play in this divine creative process.

A Wooden board with the guitar neck with eight strings laid flat against it. — Rectangular timber console with horizontal impression of guitar neck on top. Eight strings connected at one end to bridge. Pickup with eight poles underneath hinged cover. Eight machine heads in headstock. Four metal legs (not original) support the console, attached to pedal board. Five pedals with connecting rods (one rod missing) to bridge/roller mechanism in console.
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Joseph Douglas faces the camera holding a small banjo. He is wearing a yellow felt hat, striped t shirt and blue rubber gloves.

Joseph Douglas leans over a keyboard, twisting an effects knob.

I finally got to see the collection at Castle Hill. I felt a bit intimidated by the amount [and] sheer size of some of the pieces and wearing gloves to touch the instruments didn’t feel natural to me but it was fun.