Saturday, September 1, 2012

Hidden: A Rookwood Sculpture Walk 2012

Hidden: A Rookwood Sculpture Walk is an on-site sculpture exhibition in Rookwood, the largest cemetery in the Southern Hemisphere.

Rookwood is a favourite of ours and it's fantastic to see Derek Williams and his talented team showing more of the community why that's so. So, very happy to be one of the sponsors, we went to today's opening expecting great things and we weren't disappointed. We've included a couple of photos below but we don't want to ruin it, when you see it for yourself! We loved the little pot of Rookwood honey and packet of Forget-me-not seeds being handed out, with the words "Fostering new life..." printed on them.

One of the quotes from the today that has stuck with us is, "Talking about death, is really talking about life". That is something that all historians and particularly family historians understand very well.


With a truly thought provoking subject, Hidden invites audiences to explore the Necropolis whilst admiring the 37 evocative works that feature amongst the graves. These works will address themes appropriate to the site, such as grief, loss, memory, death, mourning, spirituality, religion and heritage as well as the culture around memorial, eulogy, burial and ceremony.

The outdoor sculpture walk is again featured amongst the graves in one of the best heritage sites of the cemetery. With views of the city on the horizon and a site rich with ornate and elaborate headstones dating back to the late 19th and early 20th century, visitors are given a rare opportunity to immerse themselves in a unique and captivating setting.

Cost: FREE
Date: Saturday 1 September - Sunday 14 October
Where: Starts at northern end of Hawthorne Avenue - click for map
When: Open sunrise to sunset

Inside History magazine is very happy to support the Hidden: A Rookwood Sculpture Walk in 2012 and be part of Sydney Fringe.

Wondering when to go? Rookwood Cemetery is having an Open Day on September 23. That would be the perfect day to enjoy the sculpture walk and much, much more. See you there!

Useful links:
[1] Free registration for free Rookwood deceased database
[2] Society of Australian Genealogists Rookwood Online Database
[3] State Records NSW Archives In Brief 69 - Cemetery records
[4] Hidden Stories - films about Rookwood

Follow the blue Forget-me-not flower prints on the path 

Applause by Nerine Martini

Gift: Rookwood honey and packet of Forget-me-not seeds 

 Bea by Jane Theau | Click to read more on Bea Miles

From Jane Theau, this year's winner. "Bea Miles was a larger-than-life Sydney Character who stood on street corners reciting Shakespeare from memory. She was notorious for taking long taxi riders and stepping out of the cab without any thought of paying. I have a soft spot for Bea as we perch on distant branches of my family tree, and we attended the same school; her exploits were often recounted to me by my grandmother. Bea had a momentous funeral at Rookwood Cemetery in 1973, complete with jazz band, and was the inspiration for the movie, Lilian's Story".


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