Carrick Hill Historic House

sculpture collection
Childrens Storybook Trail

Giant Spider, Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
Suspended above the Childrens picnic area, a massive spider on a silvery web
Giant Spider, Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
The question is which spider is She? Sheob from the Lord of the Rings?
Giant Spider, Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
Aragog from the forbidden forest, malevolent and enigmatic
Giant Spider, Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
As innocent and likeable as Charlotte from Charlottes web
Faeries in the trees, Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
Faeries in a tree. Almost invisible to the human eye, these tree spirits blend into the the trees that are their home.
Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
Jungle Book, Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
Akela, the head of the Wolf pack from Jungle book. Sculpture by Will Kuiper.
Jungle Book, Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
Jungle Book, Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
Jungle Book, Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
Jungle Book, Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
Jungle Book, Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
Jungle Book, Children's sculpture trail, Carrick Hill
Carrick Hill

Carrick Hill
Carrick Hill is a stunning heritage house in Springfield SA, built in 1937. It is surrounded by magnificent gardens, with views that sweep down over the city to the sea. it is one of the few period homes in Australia to have survived with its grounds undiminished and most of its original contents intact. The entire estate was bequeathed to the State by the Hayward family in 1983. The gardens are open to the public. The house is a museum and art gallery housing a collection of prestigious Australian and British art. Sculpture in the gardens include works by Robert Klippel, Arthur Boyd, Inge King & Sir Jacob Epstein.

The Children’s Literary Trail
The director of Carrick Hill, Richard Heathcote, has established a garden, designed for children. The Children’s Literary Trail is a special concept. This is not a Disney theme park where the characters loom large. Here instead simple clues and subtle props weave the stories of childhood into the gardens themselves, opening up a space for play, for active imagination. The concept has been evolving in stages and is very successful. Richard’s argument for the gardens is that children inherit the cultural heritage of Australia. Their engagement in the gardens and house at this early age will help ensure its survival into the future, into the next generation. He wanted to create a part of the gardens that children would identify with as their own.
It is an evolving work each stage being funded through individual & community donations. The Hobbit house and Secret Garden were built and planted first in 2005, there is a section for Narnia. The Jungle book arrived completed by one of Will Kuiper’s bronze howling wolves in 2007. Another of Will’s sculptures, a huge yet lightweight bronze spider is suspended from an ancient pine tree, just above a picnic area. Meliesa Judge made tiny tree spirits for the Faerie tree, which has a tiny door at the base.