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Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has been transformed into a carefully curated outdoor gallery with the unveiling of the new Sanctuary Art Trail.
Following a map trail, discover 12 striking pieces of artwork nestled within Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s 27 hectares of lush, sub-tropical environment.
There is something for everyone on this spectacular walk. Here is your guide to the Sanctuary Art Trail.
Artist: Scott Maxwell
Animals with Attitude Sculpture Trail, a world class public art event, saw 50 larger-than-life quirky and colourful giant Koalas take up residence across the City of Gold Coast during 2013 and 2015. A fundraising initiative of the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, the event raised awareness of Koala conservation and the incredible work of Currumbin Wildlife Hospital.
Forty sculptures remain on public display for resident and visitors to the Gold Coast to enjoy. This sculpture, featuring Australia’s favourite Koala Blinky Bill, is sure to be a family favourite.
Map Location: F18
Artist: Andrew and Damian
The Yugambeh Water Dragon acknowledges the Yugambeh people, who are the traditional custodians of the land located in South-East Queensland and North-Eastern New South Wales.
When designing the build, artists Andrew and Damian consulted with a local Elder and utilised colours found in traditional Yugambeh art. This project, co-funded with the support of Study Gold Coast's Education Vision Project Fund, involved four live Lego builds with Andrew and Damian, runners up in Season Two of Channel Nine's Lego Masters.
For the project, Andrew and Damian have designed and built four amazing Lego water dragons, each one celebrating a unique aspect of Queensland's beautiful Gold Coast.
Map Location: F17
Artist: John Cox’s Creature Workshop
Exhibited in Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018 Fan Trail, Games mascot Borobi is one of eight fiberglass sculptures that was created for the Commonwealth Games.
Map Location: H16
Artist: Parvaneh Roudgar
Exhibited in SWELL Sculpture Festival, Currumbin Beach 2019, Migration symbolizes a family of Canadian geese migrating to a new home in search of a brighter future.
Through shapes that reflect great enthusiasm and strength, birds unite in groups to conquer new spaces.
Map Location: G16
Artist: Hugh Sawrey
Hugh Sawrey (1919-1999) was commissioned to paint a large mural in the entry of the Sanctuary main building in 1972.
As Queensland-born artist who developed a national reputation for his paintings depicting Australian outback life in the 1860s and 1870s, Sawrey used sawn timber as his canvas in recognition of the timber leases granted in the area a century earlier.
Map Location: E17
Artist: Hugh Sawrey
A smaller piece by Queensland-born artist Hugh Sawrey, depicting two men panning for gold.
Sawrey experience firsthand events that shaped Australian identity in the 20th century, and documented many of them throughout his long career as an artist.
Map Location: E17
Artist: Ivan Lovatt
Exhibited in SWELL Sculpture Festival, Currumbin Beach 2019, Totem, created by award-winning sculptor Ivan Lovatt, immortalises Luther Cora, a respected artist and cultural leader from the Yugambeh language group. Sculpted in chicken wire form to demonstrate the artist’s versatility and adaptability, it captures Luther’s pride, dignity, and power.
Map Location: F16
Artist: Lynda Lehmann and Cherie Noble
The male Satin Bowerbird gets his name from his shiny blue plumage and the ‘bower’, which he builds as a courtship arena during breeding season. He collects bright blue coloured objects to adorn his bower. These beautiful objects, his personal collection, are a signal to potential mates of ability to provide a way to secure his contribution to the survival of his species.
Bower was exhibited in SWELL Sculpture Festival, Currumbin Beach 2019.
Map Location: H15
Artist: John Anthony Forno
There’s resilience and strength in the art of Origami, a practice that arist John remembers fondly from his childhood. This sculpture, exhibited in SWELL Sculpture Festival, Currumbin Beach 2020, is a response to the moving and static imagery that infiltrated social media feeds during the 2019/20 bushfire season.
John hopes this sculpture will serve as a stark reminder of our role in climate change and the consequences of not acting.
Map Location: M14
Artist: Unknown
Emerging from a shell, you will find the ethereal Selkie across from Pelican Point. Hair billowing in an invisible water current, she is a nod to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s proximity to Currumbin Beach.
Map Location: O13
Artist: Steve Collon
Carved out of Eucalypt log, this Gruffalo sculpture has a surprise feature - if you take close look at his mouth, you may see wisps of native stingless bees coming and going from their secret hive! This piece of art was kindly donated to form part of The Gruffalo Trail in 2019.
Map Location: Q9
Artist: Unknown
Donated by former State MP Jann Stuckey, this addition to the Animals with Attitude Sculpture Trail is a reminder to us all of the obligation we have to protect our Koalas and their habitat.
Map Location: R3
Artist: Julie Maddocks
Another addition to the Animals with Attitude Sculpture Trail, a fundraising initiative of the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, which raised awareness of Koala conservation and the incredible work of Currumbin Wildlife Hospital.
Adapting to the Jungle is a colourful depiction of the meeting point between natural and built environments on the Gold Coast.
Map Location: R3
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