Georges River Artist in Residence
January – March 2024
Carss Park, Georges River, Sydney
About the Residency
There’s a scrap of bushland between Carss Park on the Georges River and the encroaching suburban sprawl, hemmed in by the major roads that carry people to and from the city. On this tiny remnant of bushland that is crisscrossed by walking tracks and there stand a handful of neglected old-growth trees. Scarred by battles with concrete, rubbish, and graffiti, they endure as silent sentinels. At dawn and dusk, cockatoos and parrots screech through the branches, sounding a warning of what may come if we continue to neglect these fragile ecosystems.
The Sydney Peppermint Tree
The tree I worked with is a Sydney Peppermint (Eucalyptus piperita), one of the few remaining here. Like its neighbours, it filters the air from the surrounding transport systems, provides shade and habitat for the park, and helps protect the health of the Georges River below, which is a river often deemed unsafe for swimming after rain. Their survival sustains life. We all share the responsibility to protect and restore the bushland that supports us all.
Immersed in the River
As part of this residency, I immersed not only the paper but myself in the Georges River. Bathing the paper in the river’s flow became an act of reciprocity, a ritual and an acknowledgement of the life source of our rivers that sustains us all and inspires my work. The river carried traces of silt, leaves, and memory and embeds it into the paper’s surface, forming a quiet collaboration between human and place. Through this process, I hoped to honour the resilience of these trees and the fragile ecosystems that hold us.The completed tree now stands as a reflection of this time, shaped by water, air, and the enduring spirit of the Georges River.
Reflections on Connection and Care
This residency deepened my understanding of the interdependence between art, place, and environment. The process of making became an act of listening — to the trees, the water, and the shifting balance between endurance, resilience and renewal.
