OUTBACK ART

Marsupial masterpiece

Almost thirty years in the making, Rosemary Woodford Ganf's three-volume set, Marsupials in Australia, will comprise the definitive illustrated record of our unique fauna.

Story and photos John Dunn

The pine log house sits secluded on a thickly wooded shelf as the ridge falls away steeply to the floor of the valley far below. It is sheltered effectively by blue gums and golden wattle broken by a palm tree and a peppercorn and it overlooks an olive grove, which yields a steady supply of virgin oil. Koalas doze in upper branches and an occasional grey kangaroo lopes by

Marsupial masterpiece The world might seem a million miles away, but it's not. This is Skye, hidden so charmingly in the Adelaide hills just 11 kilometres from the city centre. It's a community more than a suburb and it's a most fitting setting for Rosemary Woodford Ganf, an artist of style, experience and accomplishment. Rosemary describes the location as her "sanctuary" where she finds the solitude and inspiration so necessary for the creativity and concentration her work demands.

Born in England, she painted wildlife between 1968 and 1972 while living in Uganda with her veterinary surgeon father. In 1974 she came to Adelaide where she was commissioned to illustrate a three-volume, limited edition set of books on the Marsupials of Australia.

Full story Issue 30 Aug/Sept 2003