Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Magpie’s view, Everglades Gardens, Leura

Magpie’s view, Everglades Gardens, Leura

1988
PXD 585 / 2
Screen print poster

Situated on one of the highest points in Leura, is one of Australia’s foremost heritage gardens, Everglades Gardens.* In the early 1930s the property was purchased by the Belgian-born textile merchant and designer Henri Van de Velde, whose passion and solace was the Blue Mountains. Van de Velde had grand plans for the property, and in 1938, he teamed up with his friend, Danish architect and landscape artist, Paul Sorensen to create the ultimate ‘weekender, steeped in modernist design.*’ The designers’ work resulted in this European-styled sanctuary; a composition of perfectly manicured grounds, set amongst native Australian bush.

‘The Blue Mountains Australia’ is an illustration of a magpie sitting on a tree branch hanging over The Lookout at Everglades Gardens. The artist has portrayed the edge of the Gardens which seamlessly blend into the rugged, mountainous backdrop. The bush track in the foreground of the image is the perimeter of the property, and links three viewpoints which offer spectacular views across the Jamison Valley.

This silk screen print poster is one of a series of seven prints of views in the Blue Mountains by artist Malcolm King. The series appeared in a limited edition of 60 prints produced for the Australian Bicentennial Celebrations in 1988, and was also issued as The Blue Mountains Wonderland Series Commemorative Editions.

Footnotes

* Everglades Historic House and Gardens http://www.everglades.org.au/

'Everglades': One man's dream

‘In the early 1930s, when the depression turned many people's hopes into nightmares, the dream of one man, the late Belgian-born business-man Henri van de Velde, came true.
Henri van de Velde played an important part in founding a major Australian industry, Felt and Textiles Ltd.
Fabulously wealthy, he longed to build a dream home and gardens on 14 acres of scenic bushland he had bought at Leura, N.S.W.
He recruited a band of unemployed builders, stonemasons, gardeners, and architects to bring his dream to reality. The house and gardens, estimated to have cost a total of £100,000, he named "Everglades."
He imported hundreds of rare and costly trees, shrubs, and plants from all over the world and had nearly four acres of land terraced and landscaped into a show garden.
More than 6000 seedlings for each of many varieties of flowers were planted.
In the gardens were built a squash court with showers and change room, a swimming-pool, and an open-air theatre.
The old Pacific Cable Co. building in George Street, Sydney, which van de Velde owned, was being demolished at the time, and he had the 80-year-old ornamental column doorway moved to "Everglades," where it became the backdrop for the theatre.
Every six months the gardens were opened to the public for a silver coin and about £1200 was raised each year for Red Cross.
Sydney physiotherapist Mr. E. Gill, Henri van de Velde's masseur and friend, remembers his sense of humor.
Once when a party walked into the grounds where Mr. van de Velde was working in old clothes and hat, a member asked, "Who is the guy who owns this place?"
Henri van de Velde replied, "Oh, just some silly old fool who lives down there."
When he died in 1947, his widow sold "Everglades" to grazier Mr. Harry Pike. It was sold again to Sydney book- seller Mr. Michael Swain, a noted horticulturist. In July last year it was transferred to Angus and Robertson Ltd. The property is again for sale.’

Australian Women’s Weekly, 15 November 1961, p. 13