While many may be unaware of it, most Australians are highly familiar with Bayside scenery. From the early days of European settlement, the picturesque clifftops and beaches of the area have provided inspiration for writers, sculptors and painters, most notably those of the Heidelberg School.
Australian art galleries and art books as well as many greeting cards, contain numerous images of the Bayside environs and its leisure pursuits. By rare good fortune and management, these images preserved forever on canvas have not disappeared in reality.
Development has not intruded on the seascape as it has elsewhere. Notwithstanding different fashions, much of the area looks the same as it did in Arthur Streeton’s day. Following on from a temporary trail built by the former Sandringham Council, Bayside is now aiming to make a permanent artists trail where people can readily identify the points where many famous scenes were painted.
Observers will be able to note changes that have taken place in that time. The Artists Trail will dovetail with an interpretation trail celebrating other aspects of Bayside’s artistic history, including the Beaumaris Ceramic School and the home of Alan Marshall.
Along with other aspects of Bayside’s urban planning, the trail will document the history of the district from its days as a holiday destination, through a period as a dormitory suburb to the place of multiple amenity that Bayside is today.
For further information contact Michael Coleman, telephone (03) 9599 4444.
