6 Sept 2026
We bought a 100-year-old arts commune! We plan to restore and re build it all by ourselves! It’s so beautiful but some parts are in an abandoned state, slowly we’ll renovate the building and honour this place of creativity with workshops, artist studios and residencies. It’s going to be a big journey before it’s ready though! Join us on our restoration of the old arts commune 💚

Art prints: https://www.motherthemountain.com/store
Our Book: http://geni.us/MothertheMountain
/ motherthemountain
/ motherthemountain
/ artscommune
Anastasia’s Instagram: / anast.asia
Julia’s Instagram: / juliavanderbyl

We are sisters, Julia and Anastasia Vanderbyl. A few years ago, we began a journey to live a life in perfect harmony with nature. A life of caring for animals, growing fruit, planting trees, gardening, cooking, creating, building and learning to live with the land.
In this time, nature has taught us more than we could have ever imagined.

Our environmental films document the landscape, the lessons we’ve learnt and our work as regenerative farmers here on Bundjalung Country.

This video was filmed on the lands of the Arakwal and Minjungbal People. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the Country we live on and recognise their continuing connection to the land and waters. We thank them for protecting this rainforest and its ecosystems since time immemorial.

Chapters:
0:00 We bought a 100-year-old arts commune!!
1:10 Our story
1:48 Tour of the old abandoned building
4:11 The building’s history (1923 general store then 70’s arts commune)
5:17 Money…
6:24 A giant rainforest snake that secured the sale
8:18 Touring the gallery and old post office
11:33 The upstairs apartment and renovation plans

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