Open Days at Woodford Academy

Dr Carolyn Williams, life member of the Blue Mountains Conservation Society, will give a talk on Woodford-born naturalist, historian, botanist, artist, and author Isobel Bowden (pictured), a pioneering conservationist who helped raise awareness and protect the unique flora of the World Heritage–listed Blue Mountains National Park.

Anke Stäcker, is an urban photographer storyteller who transforms urban streets - particularly overlooked or deserted areas - into emotionally charged, subjective narratives through her photography. Anke Stäcker will be concluding her 3-month Artist Residency with a display and discussion (1pm) of her experience and artwork at the Academy.

International Museum Day acknowledges the importance of Museums to our culture and society. Make a day of it and explore local National Trust sites throughout the Blue Mountains including the Woodford Academy, Norman Lindsay Gallery, and Everglades House & Gardens.

Sue’s 2026 residency at the Woodford Academy will explore real or imagined visual fragments from the lives of Woodford’s women, presented as a series of drawings.

Her work engages with the photographic process, capturing light and tonal translation, while emphasising the authenticity of hand drawing over mechanical reproduction. Focusing on light and perception, she uses graphite, pigment, and paper to transform visual phenomena into poetic expressions of impermanence.

The Woodford Academy’s ‘Aboriginal Cultural Room’ was opened by Aunty Carol Cooper on 2 July 2016, alongside an ‘Ode to Mother’s’ led by Jacinta Tobin and the exhibition ‘Stories of Country’ by the Blue Mountains Artists Camp. Chris Tobin continues to volunteer at monthly open days, sharing Aboriginal history and culture with visitors. The Academy will mark the long-standing success of this important space and acknowledge and thank all those who worked to tell our stories together.