dusk, Ulladulla Harbour, NSW, Australia (September 2025)

Smattering of photos from a highly satisfying Easter long weekend in Narrawallee/Ulladulla/Mollymook

One Walk We Can All Learn From

"Telling the story of the southern Shoalhaven Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal history, from an Aboriginal perspective - a popular free attraction in Ulladulla.

The Aboriginal walking track has been constructed in a way that, from a higher vantage point or from the air, the two halves appear as two large goannas, with four carved platforms for some of the best views of the Ulladulla Harbour.

It is a cultural trail that will delight all, with the stories illustrated with carvings and paintings by local Aboriginal Elder Noel Butler, linking Indigenous culture with white man history." https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/south-coast/jervis-bay-and-shoalhaven/ulladulla/attractions/one-track-all

One of the four lookouts, this one on the Northern loop of the walking track. Each one features carvings illustrating the history of the area from the perspective of First Nations people and the early settlers. From this point, the first ships were seen on the horizon and times were a'changing.

A steep track to a fishing spot.

A timber plank probably four metres long intricately carved to record daily life 250 years ago in this area.

An interaction that happened often here abouts.

In The southern section of the 4 km of trails is recorded the story of the early settlers - the timber cutters, the whalers, fishermen and sailors, the dairy farmers, and those that supported the many who lived around the Ulladulla region. The two halves are joined by a common theme - change. There were once 150 timber mills in the area, hundreds of fishing boats, and Dairy farming was the major agricultural industry. All gone now, as will this ironbark trunk, now etched by the strong morning light.

Look at this record of the fish s[species commonly caught in the area when the local industry supported 150 fishing trawlers - there are now two.

Behind the harbour and its boats, mostly recreational, is the modern township of Ulladulla.

Mollymook | Short Weekend Trips From Sydney | Travel NSW

Weekends away from Sydney: Mollymook With the World in a very different place since Covid, there is risks of lockdowns and blocked interstate travel. But don’t let that stop you from exploring on the weekend and using your free time and annual leave to its fullest. How to get there? Hire a car and hit the road early to make the 3 hour trip down to southern coast of New South Wales. I would highly…

Banksia

1 Margaret Preston Australian (1875-1963) Banksia (1938) oil on canvas 53.2x42.6cm

2 banksia cone in bud, Katoomba, NSW     

3 banksia cone post flowering, Ulladulla, NSW       photos: optikes

4 Margaret Preston Banksia (1932) woodcut 15.2x14.8cm

5 Margaret Preston West Australian Banksia  (1929) woodcut, hand-coloured with gouache 44.2x38cm

6 Margaret Preston Self Portrait (1930) oil on canvas 61.3x51.1cm

commissioned by the Trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW

A    artgallery.nsw.gov.au

'… my self-portrait is completed, but I am a flower painter – I am not a flower'  MP

Using both painting and woodcut, she stylised domestic objects and native Australian flowers into dynamic, formally precise compositions....Preston travelled widely throughout the Pacific, Asia, India and Africa, where she cultivated an interest in non-European art and culture. Incorporating diverse styles and motifs into her work, she sought to create a visual language that engaged with Australia’s place in the Asia Pacific region and placed Aboriginal art in a foundational position.

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Banksia is a member of the protea (Proteaceae) family and is a genus of around 75 species of evergreen shrubs and trees that feature attractive foliage, bold flowering spikes, and interesting fruiting cones. These woody low-growing shrubs to low-branching trees are endemic to Australia, with just one species, Banksia dentata, extending from northern Australia to New Guinea. The genus is named for Sir Joseph Banks, the renowned English botanist who first documented the plants on his travels around Australia with Captain Cook, and who was one of the founders of the Royal Horticultural Society.

Banksias vary from prostrate shrubs to low-branching trees. They are sturdy plants, often with a stout trunk. Typically they have long, leathery, coarsely toothed leaves, though a few species have finer or more needle-like foliage. Cylindrical or globular spikes are densely packed with hundreds of small flowers. The individual thread-like blooms are long lasting and nectar-rich. As the flowers die they develop into large, woody, fruiting cones. Flowering time varies, depending on the species.

Most species prefer an open sunny position and well-drained sandy soil low in phosphorus. Some banksias are moderately frost tolerant and once established, most will withstand dry conditions. Taking cut flowers will encourage flower production and thicken up the foliage. Propagate from seed, which often germinates better if heated or smoked. Some easy-to-cultivate species will also grow from half-hardened cuttings.