[5] The Barjai magazine was created at Brisbane State High School by Barrett Reid, Laurence Collinson and Cecil Knopke in 1943.

[2] The magazine continued outside of school and by 1944, the Barjai group held fortnightly meetings in the Australasian Catholic Assurance building at Queen Street, Brisbane.

Writers included people like Thea Astley, Laurence Collinson, Barret Reid, Barbara Patterson (known as Blackman), Pat O'Rourke and Vida Smith (known as Horn).

This group was further joined by associate writers, Judith Wright, James Devaney, Jack McKinney and Val Vallis.

[2] The Miya Studio was formed in 1945 as a break-away from the more conservative Royal Queensland Art Society when the parent body disapproved of the direction of the Younger Artist's Group (YAG).

[2] There was no government funding at that time for independent art schools and budding artists needed a studio to express their passion.

Studio members organised art exhibitions and other events, such as, public lectures held by emerging intellectuals and writers of the day.

Her nude study, alongside Laurence Collinson's antiwar painting drew police attention at Finney's Gallery in 1948.

'[2] In September 1949, Pamela Crawford spoke at the Youth Charter Conference held in Trades Hall, Brisbane.

[5] Barjai magazine and Miya studio members frequented the Pink Elephant Cafe which gained the reputation in Brisbane as a meeting place for the unruly.

[2] In the late '40s, Crawford began spending a lot of time with a radical society called the New Theatre Club.

[9] The association was founded in 1950 with the mission to preserve historical sites around Queensland, Northern New South Wales, France and Great Britain.

[3] This series of artworks allowed the University of Queensland to hold an exhibition dedicated to the young Brisbane artists who lived during the 1940s.