Ted Evans, my father, always wanted two things for Rosewood – an old people’s home and a museum. Any time we went to the tip with a load of rubbish Ted would return with a ute full of ‘treasures’ to be stored under our house, usually greater in volume than those bits we had actually dumped. Just in case Rosewood ever got its museum.

Lisbon has at least one cracker of a museum. One would think that the idea of a National Tile Museum would be right up there with ‘The National Collection of Historical Cow Bells’ or a display entitled – ‘Socks Through the Ages’. I am pleased to say the two hours spent at this Portuguse institution was actually fabulous. Portugal’s tile mania actually was started by the Moors. They of course do not show the human form in most of their art, tiles were used to create sophisticated geometric patterns. A whole industry was created when glazed tiles were used later as external cladding throughout Portugal, but Lisbon in particular. This continued until the 1950’s when concrete and Dulux or British Paints became the vogue.

Tiled buildings sadly were being torn down or left in a state of disrepair, and much of this part of Portugal’s heritage was lost. Then Jorge Nuno Palcato stepped up. Jorge had written books on tiles and somehow he convinced the government to purchase an old convent and set up a national tile museum. His collection was added to others, and it has grown into what is today a wonderful historical resource.

The convent that houses the display is itself stunning, the chapel in particular. The collection of tiles ranges from the 7th century to the present day and they have some real treasures. A diorama 23m in length is the best and most accurate representation in existence of Lisbon before the 1755 earthquake and fire. The progression from Arabic patterns, to religious motifs, then secular designs is fascinating. The whole place was well set out and the displays more than interesting. Good on you Jorge, good on you.

Rosewood did get its old folk’s home, thanks in part to Ted. There is a walkway through the town that bears his name. But it still hasn’t got a museum – all of Ted’s treasures stored under our house were taken to the dump after he died, never to be seen again.

Unless, of course, Rosewood has a Jorge I didn’t know about…

Farley