Sydney City Sculpture Walk
Do you ever wander past a statue and think, who’s that guy? Or, what’s that pig doing there? I do, regularly. Which is why I took myself off to do a little research about some of the many installations and statues dotted around the city.
The map below shows a suggested path, beginning and ending at Circular Quay. Click on the numbered markers to see what’s where and see below for more information on each stop.*
1/ Jessie Street Gardens
These gardens near Circular Quay are named for the leading local activist and dedicated to the ‘great women of Australia’. Jessie Street was a key figure in Australian and international politics for over 50 years, fighting for the rights of women and Indigenous Australians.
Pioneer Women's Memorial
This bronze statue of a woman and her two young children was commissioned for Australia’s bicentennial, to honour the contribution of women to the colonisation of Australia.
It was designed and constructed by sculptor Alex Koloszy and unveiled in November 1988.
WWII Women's War Memorial
Also in the Jessie Street Gardens is this monument, dedicated to the wartime servicewomen of New South Wales.
It honours the contribution made by women in the Australian Army, Navy and Airforce working in various capacities.
The statue was created by Sydney artist Dennis Adams who was himself a veteran of the Second World War.
2/ Macquarie Place
This tiny park on the corner of Bridge and Loftus streets was named for Governor Lachlan Macquarie and carries a heritage listing. In the early days of the colony, Macquarie Place functioned as the town square. Created in 1810, it was the first formally laid out public space in Sydney. Fittingly, the park features a few items of note related to the city’s early history.
The First Fleet Memorial sculpture was commissioned to mark the bicentennial of the fleet’s arrival in Sydney in 1788. It is a companion piece to one created by the same sculptor, John Robinson, and erected in Portsmouth, England to mark the departure of the First Fleet from that port.
The Obelisk is the oldest surviving milestone built to mark the place from which all public roads in the Colony were to be measured.
The anchor and canon from the Sirius occupy a central place in this tiny park. The Sirius was one of eleven ships which made up the First Fleet. It was shipwrecked off Norfolk Island in 1790. Its anchor was recovered in 1905 and soon after was laid here along with one of the canons from the same ship.
The large bronze statue on the edge of the park commemorates Thomas Mort who, according to the inscription, was "a pioneer of Australian resources, a founder of Australian industries {and} one who established our wool market". This particular site used to host a doric fountain, designed by convict architect, Francis Greenway in 1819.
3/ Edge of the Trees
Edge of the Trees was commissioned for the forecourt of the Museum of Sydney at its opening in 1995.
Created by artists Fiona Foley and Janet Laurence, Edge of the Trees “evokes the cultural and physical history of the site, before and after 1788:..”(Museum of Sydney)
The wooden pillars have been recycled from lost industrial buildings of Sydney. Their origins are trees that once grew in the area. The names of 29 Aboriginal clans from around Sydney correspond to the 29 vertical poles. As you walk between the pillars you’ll hear a soundscape of Koori voices reciting the original names of places in the Sydney region.
4/ King Edward VII
This rather imposing bronze statue is a memorial to Edward VII, eldest son of Queen Victoria, whose reign from 1901-1910 was considerably shorter than his mother’s.
It features the king in uniform on horseback and stands on a sandstone plinth opposite the entrance to the Conservatorium of Music.
The statue was unveiled on Empire Day, 24 May 1922. It was created by prominent British sculptor Thomas Brock, best known for the Victoria Memorial at Buckingham Palace.
5/ Governor Philip Fountain
Located near the Macquarie St entrance to the Royal Botanic Gardens is this fifteen metre high fountain, a memorial to Captain Arthur Phillip, first Governor of New South Wales. The fountain was commissioned by Sir Henry Parkes at a cost of £13,000, the priciest of its kind at the time.
Captain Phillip, cast in bronze, stands upon a marble pedestal which features three reliefs of Justice, Patriotism and Education. Below the pedestal are various figures most prominent among them the reclining forms of Neptune, Agriculture, Cyclops, and Commerce.
Cast in Florence, the fountain was created by Italian-born sculptor Achille Simonetti. It was unveiled on 22 June 1897 as part Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
6/ Shakespeare Memorial
This bronze statue in Shakespeare Place features the life-sized figure of William Shakespeare, pen in hand atop a marble pedestal. The bard is surrounded by some of his most enduring characters: Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Portia and Falstaff.
The statue was created by prominent Australian sculptor Sir Edgar Bertram Mackennal and was unveiled in 1926. It sits outside the Mitchell Library, which within, hosts the memorial Shakespeare Room.
7/ Flinders & Trim
Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders, (1774-1814), was a Captain in the Royal Navy and the first man to circumnavigate Australia. His charts were so accurate that some are still in use to this day.
This statue by William R. Colton, has Flinders depicted in full naval uniform clutching a raised sextant in his right hand. It stands outside the Mitchell Wing of The State Library of new South Wales.
More than just a memorial to Flinders, the statue represents the treasures to be found in the library itself. In 1922 Flinders’ grandson offered a challenge to all the States of Australia. The first State to erect a statue in Flinders’ honour would receive all of his grandfather’s papers.
Sydney won the honour, wth the erection of this statue in 1925. Since then, Flinders’ not inconsiderable collection of private papers and journals has resided in the Mitchell Library.
Trim
Sitting just behind Flinders’ statue and watching his back, sits the diminutive figure of his beloved cat, Trim, immortalised in bronze by sculptor John Cornwell in 1996.
Trim was born on the HMS Reliance in 1799 during the journey from the Cape of Good Hope to Botany Bay. When only a kitten he fell overboard into the ocean before managing to claw his way back on board.
From that moment on it is said, Trim and Flinders were inseparable and the cat continued to accompany Flinders on all of his journeys until his untimely death in 1904. Trim is named for the faithful butler in Laurence Sterne’s novel Tristram Shandy.
8/ Il Porcellino
Il Porcellino (‘little pig’), is a larger than life bronze wild boar, standing over a pool of creatures including tortoises, snakes, frogs, snails, lizards and crabs.
The sculpture is an exact replica of an original by Pietro Tacca which has stood in Florence, Italy, since about 1633. Traditionally, visitors to Florence were encouraged to put a coin into the boar’s gaping jaws, and the money collected was used to help fund a hospital in Florence. In Sydney, as in Florence, donations go to assist the work of a local hospital, in this case our oldest one, Sydney Hospital.
The sculpture is a memorial to Thomas and Piero Fiaschi, father and son, who worked as honorary surgeons at the Sydney Hospital and who both had distinguished military careers.
9/ Passage
Set into granite paving, Passage by Anne Graham is a stylised footprint of the Georgian houses that once occupied the site at the Eastern end of Martin Place.
The piece acknowledges the architectural and cultural history of early Sydney, referencing surrounding Georgian buildings such as the Conservatorium, the Museum of Sydney, the Barracks and the Mint.
The three bronze bowls, reflection pools and fountains, represent Georgian washrooms.
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10/ James Martin
This statue of the man for whom Martin Place was named, was unveiled in 2020, more than a century after his death.
James Martin is a key figure in Sydney’s history. Born in Ireland, Martin came with his family to Sydney as an infant. His father worked as horse groom in Parramatta and despite the family’s poverty, sacrifices were made to send the young James to Sydney College, (later Sydney Grammar) and the boy famously did whatever it took to travel the 20km to school.
Martin went on to become a journalist, editor, Attorney-General, Chief Justice and three-time Premier of NSW, the only person to have ever held all three positions.
11/ Albert the Good
This statue of ‘ Albert the Good’ was first erected in 1866, five years after the Prince’s death. It was originally located at the entrance to the Lover’s Walk, the central north-south axis of Hyde Park.
The three metre high statue stands in Barracks Square on Macquarie Street, outside the Hyde Park Barracks. Prince Albert is depicted in the robes of the order of the Garter. In his left hand he holds a sceptre and in his right an unrolled scroll.
The bronze is actually a copy of that originally cast in terracotta in 1865 by English sculptor, William Theed, for the Royal Albert Infirmary.
It stands as a companion piece to the equally grand one of his wife Queen Victoria on the corner opposite.
12/ Victoria
Just like her husband across the road, the larger than life figure of Queen Victoria on an elevated pedestal is an imposing presence.
The statue of the queen was first unveiled during the opening celebrations for Sydney’s International Exhibition in 1879.
Victoria stands tall (higher than her husband) in a long gown. She is carrying an orb in one hand and in the other a sceptre, pointing downwards.
The statue is a copy of one commissioned for Windsor City by Viennese born sculptor Joseph Edgar Boehm (1834-1890).
13/ Frazer Memorial Fountain
Sitting in a busy intersection at the cathedral end of Art Gallery Road, is this highly ornate drinking fountain, one of two donated to the city by John Frazer MLC, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist.
The Baroque style fountain was designed by Thomas Sapsford and crafted by sculptor Lawrence Beveridge. It was installed here in 1884. It features Pyrmont sandstone and specially imported Aberdeen granite in the water basins.
In the early 1880’s Sydney’s piped water supply was unreliable and largely restricted to the wealthy. The installation of such fountains in public thoroughfares was a way of supplying clean drinking water to the masses.
14/ Archibald Memorial Fountain
The Archibald Fountain is an iconic landmark in the northern end of Hyde Park.
Created by French sculptor Francois Sicard, the fountain commemorates the association between Australia and France in World War 1. It draws its themes from Greek antiquity and is an important example in Sydney of the classical revivalist sculpture of the 1920’s and 1930’s, known as Art Deco.
While the fountain is effectively a war memorial, it stands more as a symbol of peace. Central to Sicard’s design is Apollo giving life to all of nature. Apollo is surrounded by three groups of figures, the first featuring Diana bringing harmony to the world; the second, Pan watching over the fields and pastures; and the third, Theseus conquering the Minotaur, symbolic of sacrifice for the common good. *
The fountain is named after J. F. Archibald, owner and editor of The Bulletin magazine, who bequeathed funds to have it built.
NOTE: The fountain is currently hidden from view. Restoration and maintenance works on the fountain are due to be completed by late 2022.
15/ Thou didst let fall
YININMADYEMI Thou didst let fall acknowledges the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women who served in the nation’s military.
The work was created by Sydney-based Aboriginal Girramay artist Tony Albert.
Albert’s grandfather Eddie served in the Australian Army in WWII. Eddie was one of a group of seven captured in Italy. Three of the men were shot and they are represented here by the fallen shells. Four, including Eddie, survived.
The artwork also speaks to the unequal treatment of returned servicemen according to their heritage.
Hyde Park South was chosen as the location for this artwork for its historical significance. The site was once a ritual contest ground, a crossroads for traditional walking trails, and an important site for ceremony, gathering and camping. It is also home to the ANZAC Memorial.
16/ ANZAC Memorial
While not exactly a sculpture, the ANZAC memorial is definitely worth a visit while you’re in the area. Striking in size, stature, situation and design, the memorial has been. a significant Sydney landmark since it was completed in 1934.
The heritage listed, art deco style monument was designed by C. Bruce Dellit and features sculptures and reliefs by renowned sculptor George Rayner Hoff.
It stands as a memorial to the Australian Imperial Forces of World War I and is a focal point for commemoration ceremonies on ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day each year.
Find out more about the memorial here.
17/ Queen Victoria at the QVB
Here she is again, still pointing her sceptre, only this time she’s sitting down. This statue of Queen Victoria sits outside the beautiful building named for her, which opened in 1898.
Over the following eighty or so years, the building had many uses but it fell into disrepair toward the end of the twentieth century and underwent an extensive renovation and refurbishment in the eighties. As part of the renovation, a statue of Queen Victoria was sought to grace the building’s entry.
After a wide search, this statue was located in a farmhouse in Ireland. The Irish government agreed to its being offered to the City of Sydney as a gesture of goodwill and the Queen was ‘transported’ to Australia. The statue is the work of Dublin-born sculptor John Hughes.
Nearby: A statue of the Queen’s favourite dog Islay stands behind her and inside the building, look up to see two magnificent animated clocks hanging form the skylit ceiling.
18/ Athena
This bronze statue of the Greek goddess of war (among other things), was given to the City of Sydney by the Mayor of Athens as a symbolic gift during the Sydney Olympic Games.
The statue is modelled on the fourth-century bronze statue of Athena found in Piraeus in 1959.
19/ Youngsters/Lest We Forget Them
Youngsters, by Caroline Rothwell, was first shown as part of the Laneways Temporary Art Program (2012) where it proved a popular exhibit. It was subsequently acquired into the City of Sydney collection.
Youngsters is comprised of two bronze child-size statues, a boy and a girl; one standing, the other hand-standing. It is playful yet powerful, and daily draws smiles and curious glances from passers-by.
The official looking plaque, which sits behind and to the right of the figure on the corner, was not a part of the original work. Professionally crafted, it mysteriously appeared one day and there it has remained with the approval of the artist and presumably, since it’s still there, the City of Sydney. The plaque reads: "Lest we forget them…Children seeking asylum in Australia are kept in detention as part of a government policy which inflicts harm on refugees fleeing violence and persecution. Their suffering is our shame. Here at this site we remember them and together call out for change.”
20/ Cenotaph Martin Place
The Cenotaph in Martin Place is a major focus of reflection on ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day each year. It was commissioned to commemorate the Australian soldiers and sailors who died in service during World War I. It was sculpted by renowned artist Edgar Bertram Mackennal and unveiled on 21 February 1929.
Two bronze figures, a soldier and a sailor, stand guard at each end of a large granite tomb. The empty tomb stands in honour of those lost at war.
The statues of the sailor and the soldier were modelled on Private William P. Derby (1870-1936) of the 15th Infantry Battalion and Leading Signalman John William Varcoe (1897-1948) of the Royal Australian Navy.
When the cenotaph was unveiled in 1929 it was observed that the sailor was looking inland while the soldier faced the sea. Their positions were switched to the ones we see today.
21/ Forgotten Songs
Look up to see 120 empty birdcages suspended above Angel Place. Look down to see the names of the many species of songbirds lost to the city.
Forgotten Songs commemorates the songs of fifty birds once heard in central Sydney, before they were forced out by European settlement and development. The calls filter down from the canopy of birdcages and the songs change as day turns to night; the daytime birds’ songs disappearing with the sun, and those of the nocturnal birds, sounding into the evening.
Forgotten Songs is the work of artist Michael Thomas Hill in collaboration with wildlife recordist Fred van Gessel, who produced the sound files. It was first shown as part of the Laneways Temporary Art Program (2009-2010) and was recommissioned for the Angel Place upgrade in 2012.
22/ Interloop
Interlooop is a whimsical reimagining of the hardwood escalators that serviced the York Street entrance to Wynyard Station from 1931 to 2016.
The tumbling, looping form hovers above the modern escalators bringing a smile or a memory to many a commuter as they make their way down into the underground station.
Interloop is the work of Sydney artist Chris Fox. It measures more than fifty metres in length and weighs over five tonnes. The 244 wooden treads and four combs of the original escalator are woven around a purpose-built aluminium base.
The sculpture took 12 weeks to build and was installed over a weekend in December 2017.
23/ Underwood Ark
Underwood Ark is the work of National Art School graduate Michael McIntyre. McIntyre was awarded a commission to create the piece which was installed in 2017.
The work comprises sections of the trunk and the massive rootball of a 35 metre tall Blackbutt tree, sourced on the South Coast. It is suspended 10 metres above ground in Underwood Street, an unassuming laneway which has a long history that included trees, a tank stream and a shipping yard.
According to the artist, The Underwood Ark is a "symbolic vessel that carries the history of this particular place, floating down the once existing stream…Laying on its side, the tree becomes a boat, an ark floating down Underwood Street."
Nearby: While you’re in the area, check out the many murals that line the hoardings and walls at the Pitt St end of Underwood Lane.
24/ Secret World of a Starlight Ember
Lindy Lee’s five metre wide ellipsis of polished stainless-steel is pierced with thousands of tiny holes. In the words of the artist, it seeks to provide a mysterious and beautiful connection with the cosmos.
By day, the steel reflects the dazzling harbour surrounds. By night the shape is illuminated from within and, according to former MCA director Liz Ann Macgregor, it’s “like looking up at the night sky with its myriad stars”.
The sculpture was added to the forecourt of the MCA at the time of a major exhibition by the artist here in 2020.
Nearby: There is of course, much more to see at the MCA including Brook Andrew’s Warang at the entry, and Cameron Robbins Wind Analog on the terrace outside the cafe on level four. From there you can view this city’s greatest sculpture of all, the Sydney Opera House.
*For further information on these and other art installations and sculpture in the city, I recommend the City of Sydney website.