Amazing Maze images painted by Steve King and Martin Gash. Photo: David Curtis.

Amazing Maze developed by Greening Australia with 20 artists. These panels painted by Andrew Parker, Annie Mackay and Fay Porter. Photo: David Curtis.

EcoArts Australis participated in the Return to Treefest event, on the property ‘The Hill’ just near Kentucky on the New England tablelands of NSW on 20-21 September 2012.

The First National Treefest was held here in 1992 and initiated by the owners of ‘The Hill’, Jon and Vicki Taylor. It was an extraordinary event, with 6000 people attending from all over Australia. There were over 100 trade displays of revegetation machinery, nurseries, direct seeders etc and a huge involvement from non-government and government organisations. ‘The Hill’ is an exemplary example of the incorporation of trees and agroforestry into a grazing operation and over 300.000 trees have been planted since the early 1980s. 
Return to Treefest was being organised by Jon and Vicki’s children (Michael and Katherine) who now run the property. It celebrated decades of revegetation and landcare in the wake of dieback.

On Thursday 20 September they had a series of children’s activities under the banner of ‘Frog Dreaming’ – an experiential schools program that was organised by National Parks and Wildlife Service. This included a massive planting in the shape of a green tree frog that can be seen from flights over the property. On Friday 21 September they opened the site to the general public and events included:

• Speakers (including David Curtis, president of EcoArts Australis and Tony Windsor, member for New England)
• Displays and stalls

EcoArts Australis was involved with the Armidale Tree Group in resurrecting the ‘Amazing Maze’ which was built with the involvement of 20 local artists, including some who are now quite famous such as Angus Nivisen. Like a maze of mirrors, people have to find there way out, but have to do so by making the correct decisions about the landscape.

Find out more about Treefest.