Our Story

Founder Dr Sue Davis has decades of experience as an educator, facilitator, guide and creative practitioner. Over the past 7 years she has developed extensive knowledge of local wildflowers and walk locations across selected South East Queensland regions. Her wildflowering journey however started with art, culture and stories, including the stories of women she has come to call ‘wild/flower women’!

When Sue found a set of dusty old books on a bookshop shelf seven years ago she had no idea it was going to lead to new life, and prompt her to launch a future eco-enterprise. The collection of books were by Kathleen McArthur, a wildflower artist and environmentalist and Kathleen’s friend, the poet Judith Wright. They were ‘wild’ flower women, artists and writers who loved the wildflowers and natural landscapes of the Sunshine Coast region. Sue admired the way they used their artistry to help protect rapidly diminishing areas of natural beauty and had the opportunity to co-curate an initial exhibition featuring their work, working with Nina Shadforth.

Since then she has co-curated a series of exhibitions, initially with this work being a passion project carried out alongside her work as a lecturer and researcher. Over the years she began to locate all the best wildflowering locations around the Sunshine Coast and gradually built up an extensive knowledge base about the flowers and their blooming. She was granted the opportunity to spend more time wildflowering when released from the academic treadmill because of COVID and a campus closure. Since then the ‘Wild/flower Women’ projects have become the focus for her post-academic life – she has in fact become a ‘wild/flower woman’!

Now she shares the joys of what she have discovered with others through wildflowering experiences – through guided walks, retreats, workshops in nature, artmaking, curated exhibitions, and locally designed products and mementos. She works with artists, environmental groups and others, providing experiences and the chance to de-stress, connect and create, connecting people to nature, their creativity and each other. She invites you to explore the wonder and wild joys of wildflowering!

Susan Davis is an independent curator, teacher, artist, writer, researcher and facilitator. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor with the School of Education and the Arts, CQUniversity after serving in various roles including arts lecturer and teacher, Deputy Dean Research and CQ RASN initiator and manager. Sue has extensive experience in arts leadership, participatory process, community engagement, qualitative research, trans-disciplinary creative practice, professional writing and communications. She was Director of the Creative Arts Alliance and a previous President for Sunshine Coast Creative Alliance, Chair for Noosa Biosphere Ltd and Co-Convenor of the Arts Education, Practice & Research SIG of AARE. She has maintained her Queensland College of Teacher registration and is available for speaking, teaching, facilitation, and consultancy engagements. She is a fully qualified teacher with QCT registration, current First Aid certificate and a yellow card for working with children.

Wild/flower Women has a QPWS commercial permit and Noosa Council permit.

For more information on ‘Wild/flower Women’ exhibitions and projects www.wildflowerwomen.net

For information and images that can be used in various media see the Dropbox folder.

To contact Wild/flower Women email Sue Davis or call 0418763428

In the media

Gardening Australia - My Garden Path (at Kathleen McArthur Conservation Park), broadcast 25 Aug, 2023

ABC Qld Radio - History segment - Dr Sue Davis with Kate O’Toole, Sun 27 Aug, 2023

Noosa Today - ‘Wildflower walk in the park, Jan 2023

In Noosa Magazine - ‘Where the wildflowers grow’ by Georgia Beard, Autumn 2022

Noosa Today - Honoured on Australia Day, 28/01/2022

4562 Eumundi - Dr Susan Davis OAM of Eumundi