A Place of Peace
The Deep Peace Farm Animal Sanctuary – A Place of Peace, is a place of rehabilitation and refuge for animals in need. On a sprawling acreage outside the NSW town of Braidwood, hundreds of animals live in the peace of sacred sanctuary in as natural a setting as possible. Rescued from trauma, starvation, culling, euthanasia, neglect and homelessness, these animals find healing and a home for life.
Established over two decades ago in 1997, A Place of Peace today nurtures over 470 large animals – cows, horses, sheep, goats, geese , cats and dogs – and is the largest farm animal sanctuary in Australia. Refuge and protection is also offered to the local wildlife who roam the property.
Founded by Billie Dean and Andrew Einspruch, A Place of Peace is family run, with their adult daughter Tamsin. The couple had been in dog and horse rescue in Sydney for many years and through their Animal Whispers network, hundreds of animals found new homes.
“Our rescue started with a puppy called Kai who was going to be euthanised because it was Christmas. Next came Suki, a little black kelpie, who we found in a vet clinic, sitting forlornly in a cage with a sign that said: “Two Days to Go.”
At the same time we found an ex-trotter called Jamaica, dying of a broken heart, alone in a paddock for years. We brought him home to our horses so he was never lonely again. There were so many horses who followed, including a truck full of wild horses from the Snowy Mountains who escaped being “culled” — another word for being violently killed.
The first goat to come was an orphaned baby called Totem who preferred the company of horses. Sarah was our first poddy lamb. She prefers the company of goats.
Living in a farming community and being vegan, meant it was easy to love and have empathy for cows, steers and sheep.
If the meaning of sanctuary has its roots in sacred and holy, this is a good way to describe a place which offers animals respite from the human world.
And today those animals and their stories are the foundation of the Trust’s animal activism, advocacy and international education outreach. Making the world a safe place for animals is the Trust’s vision and mission .. a world without violence and fear. A world of deep peace for all species — because “all life is precious.”
A Place of Peace is now at capacity, and it is not open to the public, to give the animals the least intrusion and the best chance to heal. Volunteer working bee days are run irregularly.
We invite members of the public to follow the Sanctuary antics in our instagram, Facebook, blogs, books and videos; to join the newsletter. The future is exciting at A Place of Peace as we work with the animals and the land to regenerate and drought proof using cutting edge and pioneering natural methods.
As both Gandhi and Buckminster Fuller both were fond of saying, “Don’t bother fighting the old , just build the new.” And this is what we are doing at A Place of Peace.
Here’s to the new paradigm of loving kindness to all species !
How can you help? Please donate or become a monthly donor to support this work.