Woowookarung - Place of Plenty
I’d like to begin by respectfully acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which I live and work, the Wadawurrung people of the Kulin Nation and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
Finding time to explore concepts and ideas for new work can be tricky when running a creative practice. I was very fortunate to receive a Creative Inspiration Grant from the City of Ballarat and Regional Arts Victoria to give me time to spend in a beautiful bushland area at the doorstep of Ballarat called Woowookarung, Place of Plenty.
Woowookarung is a 641 hectare nature reserve that was opened to the public in 2016 and is a haven for native flora and fauna, it is certainly a ‘Place of Plenty’.
My mornings began with taking a walk through the Dementia-friendly Forest and Sensory Trail, the first thing that hit me each and every time was the intense and distinct smell of the eucaplyts, a minty, sweet smell. The mornings were crisp and often misty, the bush was slowly waking up as the sun hit the tops of the trees, it was divine.
With my trusty camera in hand, I would focus each time on something different, opening my gaze upwards or focusing on the tiny details that presented themselves to me on the forest floor. Trying to capture the atmosphere or purely documenting what I saw.
Further up from the Dementia-friendly Forest and Sensory Trail, as you are heading to the lookout, I found, what would turn out to be one my favourite trees, it had been completely attacked by the Eucalyptus Borer, the tree looks to have been under stress, a perfect tree for the borer to take up residence. But what strikes me is the trails these borers leave behind, perfect little paths, they are quite beautiful.
Adjacent to the lookout is the grass tree trail, Woowookarung is covered in grass trees (Xanthorrhoea). Watching the movement of the grass trees is mesmerising, delicate and poetic. The word Xanthorrhoea comes from the Greek word Xanthos and means ‘to flow’. Very apt when referencing the grass tree itself.
After each visit I would write down some words and phrases that reflected my time there.
A long, gentle journey
Turning my focus inward
To flow
Reflection of light
Golden outlines
Movement
Repetition
Texture
Patterns, paths, poetic
Unfurling
Unravelling
Rhythm
Having the time to undertake this fieldwork has been invaluable. This experience has given me so much in terms of informing new work but also in highlighting how Nature can provide the opportunity to slow down, to take my mind off all the difficult things attached to running a creative practice, to bring me back to why I do it in the first place.
Woowookarung is a place that envelopes you with its smells, light, sounds and details. I am excited to begin new work that references my time there and am grateful to have had the time to explore and experience this Place of Plenty.