Author: Robin McConchie

Larger than life, Katrina Goldsworthy has a great motto.

“If you can smile, you will get through it.”

Katrina, better known as the Bull Artist, is a born creative and her leather paintings of bulls, cattlemen and horses are spectacular.

The bulls almost walk off the canvas; you can read the cattlemen’s mind in her paintings and feel the action of the rodeo riders.

But there is a determination about Katrina; life hasn’t been easy.

“I have had many life-threatening situations, from losing our son with leukaemia, coming down with breast cancer and lately, bowel cancer, “she said.

“But through these major health issues, I’ve always got through my life with a smile on my face.”

“I like to speak about the journey in and say to people, if you can smile, you will get through it.”

“I’ve always been creative, but my niche fell into place because of the beef live export debacle,” she said.

“I wanted to make a statement to the world that our brief was of quality, and Australia is such a pristine country, that city people need to understand and be educated on what they have and not just take it for granted and abuse it.”

“The industry needs to be respected as do the people for their dedication to the country and their animals.”

“And so my art has developed from that.”

Katrina describes each of her leather paintings as a labour of love and an engineering feat.

“I find that painting on leather, is a bit like a tattoo,” she said.

“I buy the kangaroo hides, and the subject determines which hide I use, whether it’s a rough hide or a smooth hide.”

“Humans are usually smooth, cows and bulls are rougher, and horses come up great too.”

“When I’ve worked out the subject matter, I draw that on a big piece of paper to get the perspectives right because it’s all about perspective.

“Then I draft it onto the kangaroo hide, and then I cut out the kangaroo hide. Then there are months of painting the layers of the bull.

“Once it is completed in acrylic paint, I stitch it on the sewing machine. It’s a bit like patchwork and quilting; you stitch all the contours.”

“If you’ve ever seen wool carded, it’s the same thing, when you card wool it comes electrified. Well, the same thing happens when I stitch the kangaroo hide, the stitching wakes the bull up and all the contours and then all of a sudden when I’ve put it onto the canvas, it gives a 3d effect, and they look like they could walk off the canvas.”

“You are rushed off your feet,” she said.

“It’s also an opportunity to connect with people from the city, bridge the city-country divide and promote opportunities to see and experience the bush.

“We’re worlds apart. Distance is a thing. People in the city hardly ever go over the Great Dividing Range. “

“We have everything that the world can offer in Australia. We have Barrier Reef; we have snow, we have deserts we have you have beautiful harbours.”

“We have it all in Australia. People need to realise we do and, and go for it.”

The Bunya Mountains are part of the Great Dividing Range and an easy three hour drive (200km) NW of Brisbane. There are a number of routes from Brisbane, but I wanted to be away from the main highway so drove from Bris via Esk and Yarraman and then up into the hills. You certainly know you are climbing as the temperature drops noticeably, so do not forget warm clothing for the evenings. The Bunya Mountains National Park is home to the world’s largest stand of bunya pines, it was a meeting place for Aboriginal people, the centre of a timber industry and these days a perfect destination for bushwalking and a family holiday. I rented a little house but plenty of people camp in one of three well appointed campsites.

The first thing you notice in the Bunya village are the wallabies, they are everywhere. They have free range on the grasslands and I had a few dozen that called my garden home. They are unfazed by people but you need to drive slowly in case they dart across the road.

The next thing that grabs your attention is the birdlife. There are a couple of hundred species in the park and as you slow down a little and stroll through the forest, the bush becomes alive with bird calls. It is like an orchestra practising and the more you listen, the easier it becomes to pick out the different instruments, or birds. The whip bird and the cat bird are two that spring to mind. I was lucky enough to spot a whip bird poking around in the undergrowth. The cat bird produces a call that sounds like a cat in agony!!

Before I tell you about the wonderful bush walks, do not forget to try the bunya nut scones and jam at the coffee house. They are delicious and the magpies agree. People just don’t seem to pay any attention to the signs that say ‘don’t feed the birds’ and the magpie at my table clearly thought my scones were his scones… so beware!

The bushwalking is worth the effort. There are around 40 km of marked tracks and the degree of difficulty is ‘pretty easy’. I loved wandering through the cool rainforest on the eastern side of the Park. You are dwarfed by the massive bunya and hoop pines and the strangler figs give the forest an eerie feel especially as the light fades. The climbing steps carved into the trunks of the giant bunya pines remind you how important the bunya nut was to aboriginal groups. They traveled hundreds of kilometres along traditional pathways to climb the pines, harvest the nuts and hold special gatherings. The well made tracks constructed by timber getter and the few remaining red cedars are evidence that the Bunya Mountains were a rich source of timber.

On the western side of the Park between Paradise and Westcott, then up to Cherry Plain and further on to Burton’s Well, you are walking along the side of the Great Divide and the view across the plains is fabulous. But what caught my attention were the grass trees, they formed an avenue of honour in many places. Being spring, the grass tree spikes were in flower and the birds were having a field day gathering nectar. I was told to keep a look out for golden orchids and was lucky enough to spot a few small clumps.

But I was disappointed to see so much prickly pear. This aggressive cactus-like plant is a menace and it must be an ongoing job to keep it under control. Back in the early 1900’s this weed took over parts of Queensland. In the worst affected areas the prickly pear forests were impenetrable and made farming impossible. But thanks to scientists at the CSIRO an insect was introduced that effectively killed the prickly pear without harming native flora. It was the first successful biological control agent introduced into Australia. But it would seem, probably due to a lack of funding, things are out of control at the moment! 

Late in the afternoon or early in the morning is the time to head up to Mt Kiangarow, the highest point in the Park. It is an easy walk, the birdlife seems energised and noisy, and you might even see a paddy melon. At the summit I was entranced but the way the grass trees framed the view to the west. 

I love a good sunset and Fishers Lookout is the place to watch the sun sink below the horizon.

It is 2020 and the area is in desperate need of rain. I am determined to return after the drought breaks, I can’t wait to see the creeks flowing and the waterfalls gushing. I’d also like to come in winter, I am told the area gets the occasional snowfall.