Father Julian Tenison Woods Sculpture Park: Ron researches Mary McKillop's mentor in the South East region of South Australia

On the Riddoch Highway about 10 kilometres north of Penola you come across a stately gum tree that goes back to the earliest beginnings of Mary MacKillop's road to sainthood. It was here that her great mentor and friend Father Julian Tenison Woods would conduct open air mass for the pastoralists, shepherds and farm workers of the district.

Father Woods knew this country well, after all he spent ten happy years here as the parish priest for his 56,000 thousand square kilometre southern eastern district. And it was here that he met Mary MacKillop who described him as the earnest naturalist, the scientist priest, the lover of all things wild and beautiful.

Father Woods was an exceptional man - an educated scholar and compassionate priest, who would greatly influence the young Mary MacKillop. His life story and his impact on this rural community is told across the road from his famous gum tree.

Over a period of several weeks in early 2010, chain saw sculptor Kevin Gilders got to work on a series of old pine trees in a park which was once part of the original Limestone Ridge Station. The sculptures Kevin carved from the tree stumps tell the amazing story of the impact Father Woods had on the young Mary MacKillop.

Marg Muller, Mary MacKillop Centre: "They depict Father Woods as an educator and a founder, founding the Sisters of Saint Joseph with Mary MacKillop and the importance of educating children. It affected countless generations of Australians. What intrigues me is the intricacy of some of the sculptural work... You can see the crucifix under her belt and also some rosary beads."

With a chain saw, Kevin Gilders has told the story of two people who carved their own reputations as exceptional people - with an exceptional love of the rural poor, the aboriginal labourers and the small children who came from isolated and remote faming communities.

Marg Muller, Mary MacKillop Centre: "It's the whole nurturing thing. The one thing that people said about her (Mary MacKillop) was that she was kind and both she and Father Woods thought very strongly that children needed an education and that they needed to be treated kindly."

If he was alive today Father Woods would have been the ultimate Limestone Coast tour guide. On his travels as priest, he covered his parish by horse from Mount Gambier to Bordertown; from Robe to Western Victoria. All the time pursuing his interests as a naturalist, scientist, botanist and geologist and priest. Today you'll find many locals who'll set you straight on the regional delights that once fascinated Father Woods. People like Brian Carey who has established nine very up market, architecturally designed apartments which cater for those on a personal pilgrimage to Mary MacKillop's Penola or the other delights of the region. Known as Must@Coonwarrra, the apartments are a must for any traveler wanting to spend a few days exploring the town.

Brian Carey, Must@Coonawarra: "Penola is a very historical town. It's developed from the 1850s and a lot of people know of Mary MacKillop and the work she has done - well, that history is all here. A little further afield there's the Naracoorte Caves and south we've got Mount Gambier and the Blue Lake. So we are in the very heart of a fantastic tourist area."

And much of it is dominated by one very famous strip of rich red terra rosa soil and the world class wines it produces.

Brian Carey, Must@Coonawarra: "One of the things that drew us here was the Coonawarra strip. We think that it's probably the best wine strip in the world."

The rich history of Penola, the rich red heritage of the Coonawarra and the story of Mary MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods - they're all readily accessible from Must@Coonawarra. It's located at the northern end of Penola. The Father Tenison Woods Sculpture Park is located n the Riddoch Highway about 10 kilometres north of Penola.

Must@Coonawarra
Main Street
Penola
Bookings 8737 3444

Father Julian Tenison Woods Sculpture Park
10ks north of Penola
Riddoch Highway

Published Sunday 10th October 2010