Granddaughter of renowned architect Sir Roy Grounds and daughter of extraordinary sculptor Marr Grounds, Marina Ely jumped at the opportunity to become involved in Sculpture Bermagui.
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It is Sir Grounds and Ken Myer who in 1976 gifted their 220 hectare property, Penders, within Mimosa Rocks National Parks to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service for public use.
Sir Grounds' work included the National Gallery of Victoria and Victorian Arts Centre.
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Marr Grounds
His son, Ms Ely's father, was an unusual character who grew up bouncing by ship between two continents, the US where his mother was and Australia where Sir Grounds lived.
Branded a recalcitrant and delinquent Mr Grounds never lasted long at the schools he attended.
"He was not normal from the beginning," Ms Ely said.
"He didn't feel he fit in and he didn't fit in."
As an artist he had an unusual perspective for he trained in both architecture and the creative arts.
"He had this extraordinary professional life as an artist and also teaching architecture at the University of Sydney.
"He never felt like he was teaching architecture but how to live in the environment, how people can respond to and live in sympathy with their environment."
Mr Grounds was around 52 years old when his daughter was born.
"He basically retired soon after I was born so I knew him as a man who lived in the bush, shaved maybe once a year, avoided society and practiced his art."
Mr Grounds didn't like the art scene and avoided it.
"People don't know about his art in Tanja because he didn't like having people around."
Rare opportunity to see his work
Mr Grounds suffered with dementia before he died which prevented Ms Ely from sharing his work with the wider world.
So she jumped at the chance to do that when Sculpture Bermagui approached her.
She and her father often went to Sculpture Bermagui together.
"It was the sort of exhibition he felt more comfortable, outdoors, not inside with a glass of champagne making small talk, and there were sculptors there he admired," she said.
Ms Ely now has a wonderful collection of art, many by her father but also by Richard Moffatt, Peter Collins (Beatle), Nigel Lendon and Tony Trembath.
Ms Ely invites people to visit and stroll through the collection at her Narra Bukulla property at 44 Penders Road, Tanja on Sunday, March 12 at 3pm and she will give an artist's talk at Bermagui Country Club on March 19 at 1pm, along with Brandt Noak and Wil Edwards-Franchimon.
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