Baillie Lodges has shared a commissioned documentary called ‘Sunshine Rising’ that charts the course of the recreation of its flagship property Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, South Australia.
The luxury lodge, set along the limestone clifftops of Kangaroo Island’s wild south coast, was razed in the summer wildfires of 2020.
Having immediately pledged to rebuild the globally celebrated property, Baillie Lodges Founders James and Hayley Baillie commissioned local South Australian filmmakers 57 Films to document the journey.
The 30-minute documentary captures the planning, construction and very personal reactions and reflections from those working on the site over the lodge’s four-year path to reopening.
The documentary is named for Sunshine, the metal kangaroo sculpture created from a reclaimed combined harvester by Kangaroo Island sculptor Indiana James. Sunshine had always stood in the Great Room’s upper lounge, welcoming guests as they arrived to take in the first views of the Southern Ocean.
The sculpture was amongst the only features of the lodge left standing as the fires retreated. Indiana James took Sunshine back to his island studio for a clean-up and to recreate his glass eyes.
Included is footage of James and Hayley as they salvage items from the wreckage before inviting found objects artists Janine Macintosh and Indiana James to make the most of the situation, planning meetings with the lodge’s original architect Max Pritchard and the very real challenges faced in constructing a luxury lodge on a remote island site.
The film serves as an emotive visual journey for the team, and past and future guests.
Baillie Lodges founders James and Hayley Baillie said they were pleased to have a visual record of the ‘twice-in-a-lifetime’ project.
“We had planned and built the original Southern Ocean Lodge from scratch, and always regretted not having put together a proper record of the journey,” Hayley Baillie said.
“We were never expecting to have a second chance, but this time we made the most of the opportunity and the team at South Australia-based 57 Films were perfect for the task,” James Baillie said.
In the documentary, Hayley Baillie says to camera:
“A lot of people would say ‘why are you going to go ahead and build a lodge right in the middle of a dense bushland area – it burnt down once, it will burn down again’. We’re not going to give up, just like that. We’re going to look at everything we could have potentially done differently. We’re going to take all the advice we can, and we’re going to rise from the ashes because we owe this to the island,” said Hayley Baillie.
Guests at the lodge can view the film in the luxurious surrounds of the new-look lodge in the Baudin Lounge. It’s also available to view online (see below).
Baillie Lodges Executive Chairman Michael Moret-Lalli said the company was grateful for the additional financial support for the documentary from Southern Ocean Lodge owners KSL Capital Partners.
Southern Ocean Lodge reopened in December 2023.
For more information visit baillielodges.com.au
