The Mosman Art Trail is a 10km artistic trek through some of the most picturesque seafront locations in the 2088 postal district.
By Alec Smart
The coastal walk, which starts in Mosman Bay and ends in Pearl Bay, visits 12 significant sites where artists, both historic and contemporary, painted iconic scenes, which date from 1885 to 2015.
Launched on 30 April this year, the Mosman Art Trail route encompasses Little Sirius Cove, Taylors Bay, Chowder Bay, Georges Heights, Balmoral Beach, Edwards Beach, Chinamans Beach, and The Spit, before reaching its terminus.
Along the way, the 12 locations are marked with copies of the individual artworks, which reveal how the landscape has significantly altered since the earlier works from the late 19th and early 20th century.
Taylors Bay 1913. Painting by Elioth Gruner
The 12 original paintings are actually featured in a dedicated room within Mosman Art Gallery. John Cheeseman, Gallery Director, explained how the trail was conceived.
“The Mosman Art Trail was originally the brainchild of Neil Balnaves [a local philanthropist and collector] during COVID lockdown. Neil had been confined to walking the streets of Mosman and was inspired by the thought of linking significant art (through interpretive signage) to the places he walked.
“Neil had previously donated the Mosman Gift, a collection of significant Australian impressionist and modernist works to the Mosman Art Gallery…”
Neil Balnaves, who passed away in 2022 not long after he conceived the Art Trail, donated 16 Impressionist and historic paintings by important Australian artists to the gallery in 2010.
“Mosman Art Trail was developed to bring these works to the attention of new audiences,” John continued, “to let the public stand in places that inspired great artists in the past.”
The Balnaves Foundation, Neil’s legacy, provided financial support for the creation and manufacture of the signage along the Art Trail, plus a guide map and a Kids' Art Trail that runs in tandem. QR codes at each location (scanned on mobile phones) provide a narrative, featuring the voice of actress Claudia Karvan.
The Art Trail passes the historic Curlew Camp on the eastern shore of Sirius Cove, which from 1890 – 1912 hosted many famous painters who lived for much of that time under canvas. Although camp resident Arthur Streeton's painting of Sydney Heads appears further on the Trail, are there any works of Sirius Cove area by the Curlew Camp artists likely to be added to the Trail walk in the future?
“The Mosman Art Trail has been enthusiastically received by the public,” John said, “and we have had calls to extend it and have additional works included, including around the Curlew Camp area. We are currently monitoring continuing take-up and feedback from those that use it.”
Are there Mosman-themed artworks in storage at Mosman Art Gallery that might be added to the Art Trail?
“There are a range of works within the collection that could be used to extend the trail,” John confirmed. “These could be works such as a recent donation of an Ethel Carrick Fox work at the northern end of Balmoral, or a Nora Toovey work on the construction of the Spit Bridge, or even a recent acquisition of work by Imants Tillers for Sirius Cove.
“There has been a suggestion we could incorporate signage of significant Aboriginal heritage sites around Mosman into the Trail. I even had an approach from Armidale about including works from their Hinton Collection, including Tom Robert's Mosman Bay. There are endless possibilities on what could be included…”
Does he have personal favourites along the Art Trail?
“My two favourites are the Arthur Streeton situated at Georges Heights and the Ethel Carrick Fox at Balmoral,” John revealed. “Both works are incredibly examples of each artist’s works, bring a sense of joy and optimism, and reveal the significance of this incredible landscape in new ways.”
The Mosman Art Trail is free, although some sections are not wheelchair-accessible. It is recommended that those with restricted mobility or young children check online to determine which of the 12 sites are easiest to visit.
“The Trail is a great experience in itself, but also a great excuse to revisit the wonders of Sydney Harbour and the Mosman foreshore,” John recommended. “Walk the glorious harbourside of Mosman and stand in the places that inspired some of Australia's greatest artworks.
“Pack a water bottle, and a picnic lunch, don't forget the sunscreen, and bring your friends and family - enjoy!”
Mosman Art Gallery, 1 Art Gallery Way Mosman
Phone: 9978 4178
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