Additional Information

Headland Heartland by Bridie O’Brien – The original artwork.

• Oil on canvas
• 60cm x 90cm
• Framed in Tasmanian oak and ready to hang
• Painted March 2025.

Bondi has always been more than a beach. Long before bikinis and surfboards, the Dharawal called it Boondi, the sound of waves exploding on rock. That sound still shakes your ribs when the swell is up.
The headland was once a lookout, a gathering place. Later came the pavilion, the lifesavers, the glossy postcards selling sun and freedom to the world. But follow the cliffs to Marks Park and the shine fades. Once the Bondi Badlands, where queer men were hunted in the 80s and 90s, it now holds Rise, a memorial that turns grief into witness.
Bondi is a contradiction, joy and tragedy, carnival and crime scene. Yet it is always gorgeous to me. Even through the bustle of backpackers, tourists, and influencers, I feel its strength. It gathers people at sunrise, gifts them salt-fresh air, and folds memory into the tides. A meeting place. A headland and a heartland.