Donnie Smith – Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt panel

Rectangular quilt panel, landscape orientation. 'Donnie Smith/ Mandy/ Sydney ' is machine appliqued in gold lurex letters across a background patchwork of rich metallic brocade. To the left of the lettering, a machine appliqued owl made from rich metallic brocades sits on a branch. The owl has a necklace of pearls. The whole is framed in gold lurex material. This panel was made in memory of Donnie Smith (Mandy), who died in 1990. The Sydney Star Observer of 26/1/1990 states that Donnie Smith spent 25 years in community life and was involved in the Knights of the Chameleons, Australia's oldest gay social and fund raising group. He organised many of their events such as the Arts Ball. He worked at Patches, a gay venue, wrote for Campaign and was on the Mardi Gras Committee. He became a CSN carer and raised money for the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation and the AIDS Unit at Prince Henry Hospital. He was also a shareholder in the Sydney Star Observer. For 24 years he ran the annual Toy Night for the Ashfield Infants' Home.