Inspiring nature

Faye Halliday is a travelling artist best known for her incredible black marker illustrations. 

Originally from the UK and currently living in Costa Rica, the artist has amassed huge followings on Instagram and Facebook as she shares her ongoing artworks and creative pursuits. 

In an ongoing series of illustrated paper cutouts, Faye has been using nature’s vibrant palette to fill in her works and she has been using the results as inspiration for her coloured prints and canvases.

The stories behind the faces:

Faye has been drawing these animals for years. She sees “each creature has brought with it a lesson and a means for me to heal and grow as a person during different points in my life. 

Sometimes I'd approach the paper with a particular intention in mind and have it reflected back to me. Other times, the meaning or lesson behind the animal would reveal itself towards the end of the piece.

This is why I refer to these creations as ‘family’. The countless hours of love and attention that went into creating them...and the warm reminders of the lessons and support they gave me. 

In my experience, people have resonated with the pieces that carry a meaning relevant to their present circumstances. 

Which is why it might be interesting for you to see which animal you're drawn to, before finding out its meaning." 
(Check out the Meet-the-family link).

< Possibly my fave 'Rajaga' (Fire)

Faye produces her designs as prints for sale, and also t-shirts, temporary tattoos, and as phone cases.

The story behind the 'Pani' (Water) phone case design.

Heaven on earth is waiting for us to relax into our hearts, let go of the burdens we hold onto and wake up from the dream of stress. Inspired by the colours dancing in its glimmering surface, Pāṇī is an acknowledgement of the endless lessons to be found in water.

In a world of rigidity, water shows us how in all of its gentle flexibility, it cannot be destroyed. Freeze and it turns to ice, boil and it turns to vapour, drink it and it endlessly nourishes the people it passes through before eventually returning to its source.

Enclosing Australia

‘Fences of Australia’ by Jack Bradshaw.

Fences in the rural landscape are prosaic affairs. From stone to post and rail, from the utilitarian to the sculptural, a well-built fence is a thing of beauty and a monument to workmanship. These practical but symbolic structures are part of the story of Australia.

A reconstructed post-&-rail fence of separate panels rather than overlapping rails

Starting with 7,000-year-old Aboriginal fish traps and ending with a look into the future in a chapter on virtual fencing, Jack Bradshaw (who was inspired by the rabbit-proof fence) traces the history of Australia's fences in words and pictures.

A section of the rabbit-proof fence

The materials, design and method of construction reveal a great deal about the surrounding landscape, the type of farming enterprise and even the economic conditions of the time.

Dry-stone limestone fences at Kappawanta Station's shearing shed, on the Eyre Peninsula - still in use

A 90 year old split rail/paling fence around an orchard at Deeside near Manjimup, W.A.

Sheep yards built by the Pergandes family in the 1920s using layers of rock from a nearby outcrop, near Bencubbin, W.A.

Must emulate Jack – travel around the countryside taking photos of fences.

One of the more bizarre fence materials, around a W.A. wheatbelt homestead

The Stinson (the aftermath)

March 1937 and onwards

Bernard O'Reilly was lauded by the general public but never received any official thanks or reward and returned to the guesthouse. The 'Green Mountains' guesthouse has remained with the O'Reilly family ever since and is now a high end retreat 'O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat', and it still celebrates Bernard’s achievements.

O'Reillys accommodation

O'Reillys have special 80th anniversary treks to the crash site with a commemorative ceremony that you can join.

The Stinson wreckage in 1990s

Stinson Walk Option 1 – Walk in Bernard’s Footsteps

Starting from O’Reilly’s Resort we hike along the same route that Bernard followed in his search for the Stinson Wreck in 1937. The walk begins on the Border Track, later going off the graded trail into rough terrain and dense misty rainforest, summitting Mount Throakban to reach Point Lookout and on to the Stinson clearing where we shall meet up with the Rescue Route group. There is an opportunity to go to Westray’s grave.

Stinson Walk Option 2 – The Rescue Route

Walking from the Christmas Creek end of the track, this walking group will creek cross, rock hop, and make their way alongside the tumbling creek to the site of Jim Westray’s grave. From creek level you will then climb steeply up the side of the hill to eventually reach the site of the Stinson Wreck. Reaching the Stinson clearing you then have the option of continuing a little further to Point Lookout to look towards Mount Warning in N.S.W.

Both groups meet at the Stinson Clearing for lunch and time for a commemoration and to hear the remarkable tale of the Stinson rescue.

The Stinson crash had a profound effect on Australians, and via the results of the inquest, saw changes to Australian aviation. The much discussed topic of radio communications and navigation led to (Check out the local connection in the 'Nhill Aeradio Station, navigating safely' story) a network of radio beacons across the country to aid pilots.

In 1940, after he had volunteered to join the Air Force, "and since the future is so obscure" Bernard fulfilled requests to write the story of the rescue - the result was the book "Green Mountains and Cullenbenbong".
Bernard O'Reilly died in 1975.
John Seymour Proud continued his career as an engineer, and died in 1997. Joseph Robert Binstead's death date of 1969 is uncertain.

Sources: Bernard O'Reilly "Green mountains", Jennifer Beck "Crash", Trove historic newspapers.

 

The Stinson (2nd)

At dawn on Tuesday 2nd March 1937, the rescue team began the descent of the ridge in steady rain. Each 8 man stretcher team had to be rested every 10 minutes. It was some 11 hours later, after 4pm in the afternoon, when the stretchers reached the foot of the mountain.

The searchers with Proud & Binstead on stretchers (Wix.com)