Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden
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It's an unassuming garden created by Wendy Whiteley, wife of the late Australian artist, Brett Whiteley at the tip of Clark Park. The garden was affectionately known by locals as Wendy's Secret Garden but with media publicity and word-of-mouth, it has quickly become popular among the locals and tourists. Last Friday, I decided to venture to the much raved garden which is now less secretive.
I started off from North Sydney train station and took a short walk down to the junction of Walker st and Lavender st. You can see the stairways down to the garden just right in front of Indian Harbourside Restaurant. Do take note that there isn't any sign post which shows the direction to the garden but can be found on google maps. It was quite easy for me to locate the place.
Just a few steps down the stairs, you will find some benches on the higher terrace of the garden. However, views of the harbour are partially blocked by leafy trees and plants. There was a steady stream of visitors and joggers that passed by the park that day.
I continued to walk down the stairs and was immediately greeted by the Whiteley's mansion with a distinctive tower which was said to be Brett Whiteley's favourite. The house overlooks a serene garden created and maintained by Wendy.
My first impression of the garden was that it wasn't the best garden I've seen in Sydney but upon learning the story and life history of Wendy Whiteley before visiting has helped me to appreciate the beauty and purpose of the garden.
After the death of her husband in 1992, Wendy channelled her grief and sorrow by transforming a rubbish dump into a beautiful garden at her own expense. In 2001, she was devastated over the death of her only child, Arkie from cancer. The ashes of Brett and Arkie are buried in the garden at a location that was never disclosed by Wendy. She continued her work in beautifying the garden as a tribute to her greatest love in life, Brett and Arkie as well as her new life of recovering from drug addict.
There are many interesting sculptures in the garden. Some a little artistic and some made of recycled materials. Wendy's garden is filled with a variety of plants, flowers, and trees which are of different shapes, colours and sizes.
The huge fig tree give the garden lots of shades. There are a few benches around it where visitors can rest while overlooking the harbour. It's also a great spot for a little picnic or even to do some reflection or meditation as the garden is really serene and peaceful.
Wendy has also placed some tables and benches for visitors who wish to have picnic with friends or maybe to do some work there like drawing and writing.
Throughout the whole visit, I can't help but to think how strong Wendy must have been to overcome her grief and turning the debilitating hopelessness into creating something beautiful not only for herself but also for others to enjoy.
After a walk in the garden, I took the stairs down towards the harbour. It was an intimate and inspiring visit for me.
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205001 - 2023-06-16 05:37:46