Taronga Zoo

Taronga means “Beautiful view”.

A lush landscape of Sydney Fig trees, paperbarks, native palms and under ground watercourses moving down a 28 hectare protected slope to the shores of Sydney harbour and Cockle Bay where crucial conservation of species work is now the priority.

I spent my early years exploring The Zoo as well as the bush and harbour surrounding it. There was an Angophora tree that was sympathetic to my desire to gain access to The Zoo over a then unelectrified wall. As an adult I’ve always loved to draw and paint there. The animals both captive and wild that wander in and out of my frame. The interaction between them and myself. The quirky architecture and “The Beautiful View”. A place of memories, wonder and sadness. Where real animals are being replaced by statues and replicas but still the beauty of the land endures.