Studio Artes has opened a lovely gallery on the west side of Hornsby – called Gallery Artes. All the paintings, craft items, and jewellery on display are for sale, and have been created by people with disabilities. The paintings cover a range of styles and media – pastels, oils, etchings, water colour, etc. – and are all very reasonably priced. It’s definitely worth checking out for a unique art work, ideal for a gift or for your home. Lay-by and gift certificates are also available. Plus you get a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing that you are directly supporting the artist and an innovative program. For more info about Studio Artes, and the other things that they do, go to: www.studioartes.com.au

Gallery Artes is located at: 181 Pacific Highway, Hornsby. A council car park is located behind the gallery, and can be accessed from either William St or Dural St.

Now, this was a real surprise for me! I had no idea we had a local brewery.

The Happy Goblin Brewery is located in Mt Kuring-gai and has been in operation since 2006. They produce “hand-crafted ales using nothing but malt, hops, water and yeast. The beers are unfiltered and unpasteurised, resulting in full flavoured all-natural brews.”

The Happy Goblin isn’t open to the public, but you can buy their ale locally at Jim’s Cellars (65 Edgeworth David Ave, Waitara) and Al Dente Wines (110 Galston Rd, Hornsby Heights).

Described as Hornsby’s secret garden, Lisgar Gardens is definitely a hidden gem tucked away in the historic Mt Errington area. My favourite part of the garden is the rainforest walk – it can be so quiet down at the very bottom of the garden that it’s hard to believe you’re in the suburbs with neighbouring houses only a metres away. There are plenty of spots throughout the garden to sit and admire the trees and flowers.

The gardens boast over 90 varieties of camellias, mass plantings of annuals in the formal gardens, a covered pavilion for weddings and other celebrations, a shade house containing the fish ponds, a gazebo, three waterfalls, informal lawn areas, picnic tables and a rainforest walk.

The site (2.4 acres) was purchased in 1917 by Max Cotton (1887-1967) from his elder brother, Leo Cotton, specifically for the purpose of creating the gardens. In 1967, Hornsby Shire Council purchased the property, naming it Lisgar Gardens. The gardens were opened to the Public on 21 September, 1968.

Once a year, the gardens have a Twilight Opening, staying open until 7.00pm. The next one is scheduled for Saturday 20 October 2007. Check the council website’s What’s On section for more info or call (02) 9847 6934.

Location
Lisgar Rd, Hornsby

Opening hours
Monday to Friday – 8:00 am until 3:30 pm
Saturday and Sunday – EST 10:00am to 4:00pm; DST 10:00am to 5:00pm

Cost of entry
Free!

Related links
Lisgar Gargens (from Hornsby Council website)
Lisgar Gardens (from Sydney Naturally website – lots of beautiful photos of the garden)

I have lived here in Hornsby pretty much all my life, but I strongly suspect that there is still a lot I don’t know about my own backyard. Or have yet to experience.

Why is that? Why do we fail to appreciate what’s right under our nose? Probably because we tell ourselves that “one day” we will check out that amazing local attraction reviewed in the local paper. After all, we’re not planning to move anywhere else. We’ll get around to it. But “one day” never comes.

Meanwhile we spend most weekends travelling to other more “interesting” places around Sydney and remain unaware of Hornsby’s links with Ginger Meggs and Margaret Preston, not to mention the ancient volcano, bushranger and convict history, and Aboriginal origins. Yes, all true!

The Bushland Shire blog will record my attempts to:

1. discover more about the attractions of Hornsby Shire
2. cover the full spectrum of possibilities from outdoor activities through to the arts
3. learn more about the local history

I am expecting to be pleasantly surprised at what I will find in my own backyard. Who knows what treasures might be found just a few streets away? I think this will be a lot of fun!