Sculpture Archives - Page 6 of 22 - Destination's Journey

21 September 202319 September 2023

Tanilba Bay Australia

Tanilba Bay Australia

Located on the Tilligerry Peninsula, Tanilba Bay is a suburb of the Port Stephens local government area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia.

Entrance to Tanilba Bay — Entrance to the town

Tanilba House

The centrepiece of the town is Tanilba House, a beautiful and elegant home which is one of Australia’s oldest historical buildings. Built for Lieutenant William Caswell, a naval officer who had received a land grant of 20.2 hectares in 1831. Caswell established farm sites at Seaham (23 km north) and Salt Ash and opted to build his homestead on the land at Tanilba.

The Temple of the Stork

Built from local rock quarried from Mallabula and completed in 1933, The Temple of the Stork is an ornate stone and shell temple. The floor and ceiling of the temple feature reversed images while patterns of 8 appear mystically in the design. Henry F. Halloran who owned Tanilba House at the time was responsible for its construction.

Water Gates

The Centenary Gate, also known as the Water Gate, were constructed from 1929 to 31 March 1931. It was built to mark the centenary of European settlement at Tanilba Bay by the original grantee, Lieutenant William Caswell.

Henry F. Halloran designed the gate from round and broken quartz porphyry embellished with white feldspar gathered from Tanilba foreshore and a quarry at Mallabula.

The metal arch suspended between the rock pillars reads ‘Tanilba Bay’ and was designed to be viewed from the water when many visitors arrived by boat.

Tanilba Bay Water Front

The town’s waterfront has a nice sandy beach ideal for watersports or relaxing. Bordered by grassed areas with street parking the waterfront is a nice place to stop after arriving. When we visited there was a mobile coffee van in one of the carparks which was great after a 90 minute drive to get there.

Small sandy Beach at Tanilba Bay — Small sandy Beach

Tilligerry Habitat

The Tilligerry Habitat and adjacent boardwalk is a great place to wander through. Consisting of rehabilitated sand mining areas, it is now a sanctuary for birdlife and koalas. Unfortunately we didn’t see any on our visit, but we were assured they are there. A longer blog with more pictures of the Tilligerry Habitat can be found here.

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To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

7 September 202319 September 2023

Brays Bay Ship-Building Memorial

Ship Building Memorial From the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk

Brays Bay Ship-Building Memorial

Located adjacent to the Kokoda Track Memorial Pathway, the Brays Bay Ship-Building Memorial is a tribute to the ship building that operated here from 1939 to 1945. Representing a ship a sculpture sits next to the entrance walkway which has ships’ names etched into it.

Operated by Tulloch, the shipyard built the bow and midsections of shallow draught vessels here. The stern sections were constructed at Granville. These small ships were needed for operations in coastal areas in Northern Australia and New Guinea. Up to 1945 when construction halted up to 24 ships were built here.

The entrance to the area recreates the slipway the vessels were built on, while the ship sculpture represents the bow section of a ship built here.

This is an interesting addition to the memorial walk while teaching us a little about the wartime industry in the area.

Entrance to the Brays Bay Ship Building Memorial — Entrance to the Ship-Building Memorial

Our photos are available for purchase on

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

24 August 202319 September 2023

Rivendell School Sydney Australia

Rivendell School Sydney Australia

History

Opened on 21st September 1893 what is now Rivendell School was originally the Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital. Built from money from Walker’s will, the hospital treated over 70,000 patients convalesced at the hospital, including servicemen from the 1914-18 and 1939-45 World Wars. In 1977, the hospital was transformed into a specialized educational institution for students with mental health concerns and was renamed Rivendell School. The name reflects Rivendell From J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit as a place to rest and recuperate – a sanctuary for those on difficult journeys.

Current Use

Located in West Concord on Sydney’s Parramatta River, Rivendell School is a specialized educational facility located in Sydney, Australia. It caters to students who have mental health concerns or psychiatric conditions, providing a supportive and comprehensive learning environment. The school focuses on fostering wellness, resilience, and academic achievement for its students. With a team of dedicated professionals, Rivendell School offers tailored programs to meet the unique needs of each student, ensuring they receive the necessary support to thrive academically and personally.

Getting To Rivendell School

We travelled by train to Rhodes Train Station and then walked to the school. On the way we looked at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway and the Brays Bay Ship-Building Memorial. Bus 410 runs from the station to near the school, so you can take this instead. If travelling by car, parking is difficult to find because of the other hospitals in the area. The best option would be to park in the Kokoda Parking area.

The Grounds and Buildings

Walking around the landscaped grounds, is very relaxing as you would expect from the building’s original purpose. Make sure to look at the inside of the entrance gate as there are many sandstone carvings on the walls. The sandstone carvings are perfectly preserved, with the columns on the upper balcony of the main building looking magnificent.

Directly opposite the main entrance, on the Parramatta River, an old water gate was the preferred entrance when the school was used as a hospital. Although this is no longer in use. This is a great building in its own right and unique in Australia.

Tours can be booked here.