As you read this, the Redemptorist monks of St ClementsRetreat at Galong are no doubt gathering in the shadowy corners of its hallowed halls and whispering to each other in troubled tones while grasping copies of this very column in their hands.
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In a decision which is bound to stir up debate among the Galong faithful, this column has withdrawn the title of "region's most impressive labyrinth" which it bestowed on the St Clements' 13-metre diameter stone labyrinth last month (Lure of the Labyrinth, August 8).
This awkward backflip, which has relegated Galong's replica ancient stone pathway to second place hasn't been made lightly and follows leads from a number of labyrinth-savvy readers. These included Janice King of Kambah who demanded a review of this column's verdict, claiming "a travesty of justice that the large stone labyrinth on an old Cobb & Co station north-west of Canberra," which she visited "during an open garden event," wasn't even considered.
On receiving the tip-offs, earlier this week I high-tailed it to Old Graham, the historic property in question, between Boorowa and Cowra. Here, I discovered a spread that John and Liz Baker of Griffith have been lovingly restoring during the past 23 years.
During the two-hour drive, I remained somewhat hopeful that upon "walking" the Old Graham labyrinth, that I could retain face by leaving my top five intact. My plan was to appease Janice and her fellow detractors by awarding the Bakers' creation a commendation ribbon, or similar.
However, upon setting eyes on the 21-metre stone labyrinth I was left with little choice but to relegate the good monks' labyrinth from gold to silver status.
Sited high on a hillside and overlooking the green Hovells Creek floodplains, the labyrinth at Old Graham isn't only the largest (you can really only photograph it from a ladder), but it is also arguably the region's most spectacularly situated. "It took two people and a ute four days' solid work to lay out using chunks of blue granite hauled down from other hills on the property," says John, who based the design on Julian's Bower, a medieval turf labyrinth in north Lincolnshire in England, near where John grew up.
Despite John's pivotal role in its construction, he admits he has "only walked it once, instead leaving it to others in his family", as well as other visitors including one impressed akubra-clad columnist, to try it out.
I'm not sure how long the path is, but it takes me a good 15 minutes to walk to the centre and back. The Bakers' son, Drew, holds the record for walking, or should that be, running, the labyrinth in three minutes flat. "He's a marathon runner," so based on that time the pathway is probably about half a kilometre, John says.
There are more than 70 sculptures scattered around Old Graham, including nearly 45 thoughtfully sited and meticulously maintained in a dedicated six-hectare sculpture paddock. Most are the work of regional artists including many by graduating students from the ANU School of Art including my favourites, Rosalind Lemoh's Giant Spade and Haeli Van Veen's ephemeral Beast crafted from sticks and tree branches.
John says he and his wife have become rather obsessed with their search for more sculptures. "It was accidental. We first started collecting sculptures in 2004, and then we got addicted," says John, who, apart from the labyrinth, has created several other landscape-scale sculptures of his own, including Nine Standing Stones. Crafted from large granite blocks salvaged from a nearby quarry, this line of Stonehenge-esque pillars can be spotted when approaching the valley by car more than two kilometres away.
Then, there's his lovable Teddy Tree, which puts those teddy trees on the road from Queanbeyan to the Braidwood to shame. A grand yellow box sheltered near a creek line is weighed down with literally hundreds of Paddingtons, Poohs and other bears of every conceivable progeny, "rescued from charity shops all over NSW". Apparently it started one Easter a few years ago when John and Liz's grandchildren visited the farm and now grows every time they return. Like most of John's sculptures, even the teddy tree is complete with its own artistic allegory. "The highest teddy is a little girl teddy in a skirt to make the point to our grandchildren that little girls can get to the top," John says.
What makes a visit to this rural hideaway even more rewarding is the delightful country garden which wraps around the granite stone homestead. While John tends to his sculpture paddock and his eclectic and vast collection of vintage farm equipment, Liz a self-confessed green thumb, creates and cares for a seemingly endless array of imaginative garden spaces. There's David Austin roses, bearded irises, day lilies, rosemary, all kinds of bulbs, a rustic arbour paved with convict bricks and even a pond and bog garden; and everywhere you look is of course, a sculpture.
The Bakers have not only breathed new life into a long forgotten slice of our pioneering past, but in doing so in such an idiosyncratic and inventive way, have also created an inspiring landscape. Old Graham is now a place to dream and reflect – an environment which I suspect even the Redemptorists at nearby St Clements, who savour such contemplative places, would, despite being burdened with labyrinth envy, be most approving of.
Fact file
Old Graham: The private garden and sculpture paddock of this historic property between Boorowa and Cowra is occasionally open for garden events. Watch this space for details of when it is open in 2016.
Did you know? Old Graham was built as a private home in 1877 and its owner, Edward Kerr was granted a publican's licence seven years later. On May 24, 1884, a free ball and supper was held to celebrate its official opening as Glencoe Inn. However, fortune didn't favour the Kerrs with Edward suffering a fatal heart attack just six months later. Mary Ann, his wife, continued the pub despite having 10 children in tow. She died less than a year later "of disease of the heart accelerated by intemperance". The house was subsequently sold and, after a series of owners, was abandoned in the 1950s until Liz and John Baker bought it in 1992, with the aim to restore it to its former glory. On May 24, 1994, exactly 110 years after it opened as the Glencoe Inn, with the restoration almost complete, a party was held at Old Graham, for all the people involved in its restoration plus neighbours and friends.
Sculpture in the paddock: If you can't wait for Old Graham's next open day, you can still get your fix of outdoor art at Yass' annual Sculpture in the Paddock staged in the beautiful surrounds of the National Trust property, Cooma Cottage, once home of the Australian-born colonial explorer Hamilton Hume. September 19-October 15. There's a rumour that there might even be an attempt to outdo the Bakers' labyrinth. Surely not. More: sculptureinthepaddock.com.au
Balancing beauty
Perched atop a few ridges beyond Old Graham's sculpture paddock is a remarkable rocky outcrop which features a six-metre tall balancing rock. Owner, John Baker, who hails from England, which is home to many precariously placed rocks, reckons he's "never seen one even as half as good over there".
When standing next to it, trying to comprehend how it doesn't topple over, supported by such a tiny, partially cracked point (about 450 millimetres) connected to the rock platform below, it's hard to argue with John's claim.
The closest comparison that I've seen in Australia is Balancing Rock, near Glen Innes in the aptly-named New England area of NSW. Although on private property, this not-as-tall and more rounded granite boulder rests on a 300 millimetre point, and can be viewed from an adjoining rest area.
If you've spotted a better balancing rock in your travels, I'd love to hear from you.
Contact Tim: Email: timtheyowieman@bigpond.com or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie St, Fyshwick. You can see a selection of past columns at: canberratimes.com.au/act-news/by/tim-the-yowie-man
Where in Canberra?
Clue: This sharp-toothed beast may already be hidden by the time you read this.
Degree of difficulty: Medium.
Last week: Parliament aficionados and train buffs should hang their head in shame for despite the generous clue, no one was able to identify last week's photo which was as a page from an autograph book on display in the old Prime Minister's Suite at Old Parliament House. The autograph book belonged to Sam Palmer, who worked on NSW Railways for 50 years. Back in Palmer's day, most politicians came to Canberra via train and Palmer collected the autographs of many of his passengers, including six former prime ministers, many senators and other prominent Australians. In 1987, he presented his treasured autograph book to prime minister Bob Hawke, who displayed it in his office.
How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday, September 12, 2015 with the correct answer wins a double pass to Dendy cinemas.
