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🌅 Sunset Ocean, Henley — Art, Memory & the Fragile Coast



Eye-level view of a community mural depicting a thriving forest and clean river
My painting of Henley Beach in South Australia - Sunset Ocean Henley - Cate Hayes - Acrylic on Canvas, 2012.

Environmental challenges often feel overwhelming. The scale of pollution, deforestation, and climate change can make it hard to see a clear path forward. Yet, creativity offers a powerful way to inspire hope and motivate action toward preserving our planet. By using imaginative approaches, individuals and communities can connect emotionally with environmental issues and envision solutions that feel achievable.

Creativity is more than art or invention; it is a mindset that encourages new ways of thinking and problem-solving. When applied to environmental preservation, creativity helps break through despair and apathy. It opens doors to fresh ideas, meaningful engagement, and a shared sense of purpose.


Growing Up by the Sea

I painted Sunset Ocean, Henley from one of my father’s photographs of the sunset at Henley Beach in Adelaide — the same beach he photographed twice a week for years, right in front of my grandparents’ beachfront house. Those images captured not just the light, but the rhythm of the tides, the passage of time, and the way the sea holds memory.

Since I was a child, every bit of my free time was spent outdoors — running barefoot on the sand, swimming until sunset, or caravanning with my family along the coast. Australia is a coastal country; most of us live by the ocean, and its moods are part of who we are.


A Family Legacy and a Changing Coastline

Over time, I’ve noticed the changes — erosion, disappearing dunes, and rubbish washing up where the water once looked endless and clear. My grandfather often spoke about the council bringing in new sand after winter storms carved away the beach, a reminder of how fragile these places are.

Even today, coastal erosion remains a serious concern. The City of Charles Sturt and the Department for Environment and Water (SA) continue to manage the Henley Beach to Tennyson coastline through active sand replenishment and dune protection programs.

In Western Australia, the City of Stirling’s Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Plan (CHRMAP) maps erosion and inundation risks along the Perth coastline through to the year 2122.

According to Perth Now, vulnerable locations include:

  • West Coast Drive

  • Mettam’s Pool

  • The Esplanade

  • Scarborough carparks

  • Whale Playground

  • Scarborough Amphitheatre

  • Scarborough Beach Pool

  • Scarboro Surf Life Saving Club

  • Trigg Café

That report was released around the time of the COP27 Climate Change Conference, which urged Pacific nations to create disaster recovery and mitigation funds to manage the consequences of rising sea levels. It’s a timely reminder that our coastlines — the places we grew up exploring and photographing — are changing faster than we imagine.


Creativity as a Bridge Between Art and Action

Creativity helps us process that scale — it turns data into story, and fear into care. Art, poetry, music, and design all remind us that environmental preservation isn’t just a technical task; it’s an emotional one. My painting carries that message.

Sunset Ocean, Henley isn’t only a memory of family and place — it’s a visual reminder of what we risk losing, and what we still have time to protect. Creativity transforms despair into dialogue, and dialogue into collective hope.

It’s through creative expression — whether painting, poetry, or community collaboration — that people find emotional connection and renewed motivation to care for our world. Just as my father’s photographs preserved the light and movement of Henley Beach, this painting seeks to capture the pulse of the ocean and the memory of its changing shorelines.


Why This Matters

Environmental preservation needs more than facts and figures. It needs imagination, passion, and hope. Creativity provides all three, helping us see a future where people and nature thrive together.

When people feel connected to the natural world, they protect it — not out of duty, but love. That’s the deeper message behind Sunset Ocean, Henley.


🔗 View the Artwork

@SaatchiArt @CityofCharlesSturt @EnvironmentSA @CityofStirling

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