This was published 1 year ago
Bundanon, Arthur Boyd's home in NSW: The artistic gift that keeps giving
The Bridge.Credit: James Moffatt
If there's any accommodation in Australia quite like The Bridge I don't know of it. But don't think of The Bridge as a hotel. It's more of a superb architectural and environmental creation, spanning what has been and can be the setting for a torrent (hence the name).
From my room on The Bridge here at Bundanon on the NSW South Coast, I can see the historic cottage artist Arthur Boyd and his, wife, Yvonne, first purchased and the annex they built in the same colonial style for family meals.
Plus there's also Boyd's first Shoalhaven studio, still carrying the paint marks from canvases he created with the slapdash fever of genius.
In 1993, Bundanon - the 1000-hectare property with 12 kilometres of Shoalhaven riverfront between Nowra and Kangaroo Valley which had been home to the Boyds since the 1970s - began a new life as an eternal arts canvas.Credit: James Moffatt
They are the final pieces in a cultural jigsaw in what is the largest artistic gift ever given to the nation which will be commemorated next year (2023).
In 1993, Bundanon - the 1000-hectare property with 12 kilometres of Shoalhaven riverfront between Nowra and Kangaroo Valley which had been home to the Boyds since the 1970s - began a new life as an eternal arts canvas.
The announcement was made by then Prime Minister Paul Keating at the memorial service for Sidney Nolan, the Boyds' friend and one-time neighbour on the Shoalhaven.
Nolan had been a guest at Riversdale, the Boyds' first home overlooking the wonderful river, before they moved upstream to "the homestead" at Bundanon itself, picturesquely sited opposite a gorgeous gorge (albeit on a flood plain).
Celebrations are planned for the 30th anniversary from around April 1 next year, though the exact date, activities and an artistic program are still a work in progress.
Meanwhile, with "the new Bundanon" enjoying its first summer should you visit before March 12, you'll see "Siteworks: From a Deep Valley", featuring the work of more than 25 artists and 10 scientists with climate change at its core.
Also on display is The Possum Skin Cloak Project honouring the work of 15 Indigenous women invited to create a community cloak made of possum skin, celebrating the traditions of the Yuin landscape long before Bundanon was ever conceived.
It was this landscape - sculptured over millennia by floods, droughts and seasonal changes - which attracted the Boyds in the first place to this inland idyll.
The setting continues to inspire great works of art long after Boyd died in 1999 through the many multi-disciplinary painters, musicians and performers who have benefited from Bundanon's unique artist-in-retreat program.
Now the Bundanon estate (which includes Riversdale) has even more cultural treasures to attract visitors: a new art gallery, the aforementioned, spectacular 32-room accommodation annex and a fine dining chef Doug Innes-Will offering a menu based on the NSW Shoalhaven region's local produce.
Melbourne-based Kerstin Thompson Architects won two gongs in the 2022 National Architecture Awards, with the jury commenting: "Bundanon is a layered work that has been sensitively handled and respects the original vision for the estate."
The Bundanon homestead, which I admire from my room, has been beleaguered by rising damp because of its riverside position - was supposed to be renovated and reopened in time for Christmas. Sadly, it is unlikely to be fit for visitors before mid-year because of labour and building supply issues.
However the major new additions - the vastly impressive gallery, visitors centre, cafe, restaurant and accommodation - are actually on higher ground at Riversdale with the homestead's eagerly-awaited opening something else to look forward to in the remarkable Bundanon's 30th anniversary year.
THE DETAILS
DRIVE
Bundanon Art Gallery/The Bridge is 19 kilometres from Nowra, 180 kilometres from Sydney, 730 from Melbourne.
STAY
The Bridge's 32 guest rooms are eco-friendly each with an ensuite and king or twin beds. Don't expect TVs. Bring a good book or listen out for the frogs, wombats and bird life that fill the night air.
Tip: pick an even numbered room for the best views over the Shoalhaven.
See bundanon.com.au.
EAT
The Ramox Cafe lunch menu is seasonally adjusted, but always includes a picnic for two with charcuterie, cheese, pickles and fruit ($60).
SEE
"Siteworks: From a Deep Valley", until March 12, 2023. See bundanon.com.au.
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