We have struggled to confront the physical nature of Australia. This reluctance has held back the expression of Australian themes in art and architecture. An experimental nineteenth-century work of architectural sculpture in a sandstone facade marks a significant cultural breakthrough, insofar as, in lieu of the Greek architectural orders, Australian birds and animals were used for the first time. For sixteen years, it stood in the very heart of Sydney as testimony to the uniqueness of Australian nature. From afar, it looks very ordinary, this single-storey sandstone front topped by a triangular gable. Above the gate, a sign reads “Annandale Creative…