Spending time at Bundanon near Nowra in New South Wales drops you into a different way of being. Recently, my friend and I were the only ones staying there on a clear autumn evening, the rush of Sydney traffic some 150 kilometers away replaced by the rustle of leaves and the hum of insects. Our new surroundings prompted long conversations, sustained contemplation, and revelry in simple pleasures, like gazing at the sun as it rose over the Shoalhaven River the following morning.

Bundanon continues to exude the transformative qualities that enchanted renowned Australian modernist painter Arthur Boyd when he first visited the now 1,000-hectare site over 50 years ago. Boyd experienced profound creative and contemplative inspiration from these natural surroundings, often featuring them in his paintings. In 1974, Boyd and his wife Yvonne began purchasing land there, where they lived until Boyd’s death in 1999, sharing their home and studio with many artists, some of whom were family members. Boyd took the art that ran through his veins seriously, stating that “We all had a faith in creativity, and that implied continuity. Creativity was a family vocation: you were sent these talents, so you should use them.” From the beginning, Boyd envisioned Bundanon as a place for artistic communities to thrive, and he always planned to facilitate this on a grander scale. He gifted Bundanon to the Australian people in 1993, one of the most significant philanthropic gifts in Australian arts history. By doing so, other creatives could experience the magic of the landscape. It is currently the only regional arts institution funded by the federal government, with Boyd ensuring that it could never be sold off.