Australia is home to many unusual creatures, such as the platypus, kangaroo and koala. The nation’s isolation fostered a unique artistic culture as well. Many angels there show evidence of blended influences from Aboriginal Australian and European cultures. So go on a walkabout with us Down Under to catch a glimpse of angels from Up Above.
Fitzroy Nursery, Fitzroy, Australia
The Fitzroy Nursery specializes in plants and gardening products, but many visitors come for the angelic entrance gates, designed by Australian sculptor Deborah Halpern in 1987. “Tourists love to be photographed in front of the gates,” says nursery owner Simon Collings. After the angel made her debut, the nursery took on an additional specialty: outdoor sculpture and furniture. Today, this section of the nursery is known as the Artist’s Garden.
St. James Church, Sydney, Australia
In 1929 a partnership of artists decorated the St. James Children’s Chapel with a series of murals depicting the holy family escorted to Bethlehem on a ship—guided by angels. In the image on the left, Sydney Harbor Bridge, which was under construction at the time, is depicted in the background, with angels and children sailing in the foreground.
William Ricketts Sanctuary, Mount Dandenong, Australia
Time spent living among native tribes in central Australia inspired twentieth-century sculptor William Ricketts to create 92 clay sculptures celebrating traditional Aboriginal Australian culture and his own interpretations of heaven. Visitors experience art and the natural world when they visit Ricketts’s outdoor sanctuary, now a government-protected preserve.
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