Castle Rock and Marshall Bay
at Emita Flinders Island in yesterdays Storm

Well today is a day of introspective painting at my mate Marc's house new house. We are hoping 2 have the job done by the end of the weekend so he can move in next week. This is the wonderful view the house which has a great glass front. Its a constant meditation of sea, sky, waves, clouds and always the thunderous rhythmic roar from the sea. The weeks violent storms have now abated somewhat as the wind has swung around to a very icy Sou'Westerly direction. This view in full storm was take yesterday. Like so many places on this island this a power-place of great beauty and energy. However lurking behind that beauty is some horrible tragedy. On the beach in the background was the Wreck of the George Marshall in the mid 1800's where over a 100 souls drowned, and not doubt it was in weather like this.

Further to the west at Wybaleena on Settlement point is a very eerie site. The forlorn chapel and graveyard belie that this place was in fact the site of what many in Australia consider genocide. Here the remaining Tasmanian aborigine's (a very distinct race separated from Australia for 9,000 yrs) were rounded up and placed in this settlement by one Augustus Robinson. The bleak climate, disease and social disinterestedly and simply a broke spirit dwindled the number from some 300 to a handful in a few years. The few remaining were then taken to the south of Tasmania where the decline continued to the death of the last full blooded aboriginal Trugannini. This site now belongs to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community and has a very special presence of its own.

Amongst all this beauty as I paint today is the knowledge of this human tragedy, this emphasizes the deception of visions before our eyes.. Things are not what they seem this place of great beauty and peace to my eyes and soul was the absolute living hell for many that have come before me. I ponder how others will look upon this place of the following millennia. Its a humbling experience and a realization of how solitary our journeys in life are and how are perceptions are always clouded by our own experiences. This place will always BE.... In its forever changing form. Now to follow is this same scene on a warm sunny summers day......