Australia’s Creative Villages: The Gold Coast Hinterland

Where art, community and landscape converge in the quietly evolving creative hubs of Mudgeeraba and Springbrook

Australian hinterland towns have always been home to great art and artists of all kinds. Places like Maleny on the Sunshine Coast, Bellingen in New South Wales and Daylesford in the central highlands of Victoria share a familiar vibe: natural landscapes, village streets and a slower pace of life. A place and space for  imagination to take shape and be shared.

Austinville, Gold Coast Hinterland

Mudgeeraba and the surrounding hinterland quietly hold a place just like it. It’s home to the Doyles, a national renowned fine arts award. Beyond the golden Gold Coast skyline, the landscape turns green, framed by ancient volcanic mountains. Winding roads lead into the hills where both art and artists live, create and share this splendid beauty.

Art in the hinterland does not always sit inside formal gallery walls. It appears in unexpected places: within hybrid art galleries and cafés, home studios, shopfront windows, community halls and even village greens. But don’t be fooled, what may seem informal does not equal small achievements. Many artists working from these hills have gained recognition and awards far beyond the region, while continuing to create within the neighbourhood of their village life.

One of those artists is Mudgeeraba’s Petronella van Leusden. Born in the Netherlands, Petronella carried a lifelong devotion to painting and sculpture with her when she settled in Australia. Rather than waiting for traditional gallery opportunities, she simply began creating spaces where art could exist. “A creation needs to be seen to become art,” she says. “It needs a viewer to complete the work.”

Gallery 369 – George Spruce sculture. Photographer-Dave Straton

Embodying that philosophy over the years, Pertronella has brought art into everyday life, displaying works in local cafés, working with businesses to exhibit pieces, and transforming empty retail spaces and community halls into pop up galleries. Her approach reflects something of the hinterland itself; creative, personal and closely connected to community.

Another creative neighbour has also drawn attention to the Gold Coast Hinterland. In 2023, artist Kylie Daniel’s distinctive textured landscapes exploded onto Channel 9’s renovation hit tv show The Block. The exposure introduced her work to avid home renovators across the nation and marked the beginning of her full-time artistic career. Soon after, she opened The Basement Gallery in the heart of Mudgeeraba village, where most of the works from her first exhibition sold within the opening week.

Kylie Daniel, artist in gallery

Kylie’s approach is instinctively impressive, depicting the warmth of an Australian landscape through layered materials and chemical reactions that form textured surfaces. The works invite viewers to look closely and reach out and feel the surface of the canvas. For Kylie, the work is also about pause. “I want people to be able to look at my art and, for a moment, go on a journey,” she says. “To let go of the expectations of modern life for just a few minutes.”

As the road climbs through the World Heritage listed rainforest toward Springbrook, another artistic space sits quietly among the trees. Gallery 369 has been both a home and gallery space. For more than thirty-five years it was the creative base of artists Anne Asquith and George Spruce, the building filled with decades of paintings and sculptures, its wide balconies inviting the ancient surrounds indoors.

When the property went up for sale in 2021, the gallery and more than 400 works were in danger of disappearing from this close-knit community. Instead, Rozie Cairns and David Window moved with passion and determination to hold the space. “To lose this place from not just the Springbrook community, but the broader community,” David says, “felt unthinkable.” Today it welcomes local artists, with free monthly exhibitions who share the same passion of sharing art with their community and visitors.

Alongside the gallery, the small café Albert’s on Lyrebird serves up local fresh produce and has become a place where art and conversation can be found amongst the crisp mountain air. Like Maleny, Bellingen and Daylesford, the Gold Coast Hinterland continues the iconic tradition of Australian creative villages. Here, the meeting of ancient landscapes, art and artists’ invites both locals and visitors to these spaces. From contemporary pop-up’s to time-honoured galleries, each offers a place to pause, reflect and connect with the community.

The Mudgeeraba Food and Art trail invites you to discover more about the artists featured in this article and what our hinterland village and its surroundings have to offer.

We look forward to seeing you here. https://mudgeerabafoodandarttrail.com.au