Have you heard of these 5 quirky works of art in Melbourne’s northern suburbs?
Melbourne’s northern suburbs are rich with art and culture. Home to a strong alternative scene, mixed with a community of immigrants from all over the world, suburbs such as Northcote, Brunswick and Fitzroy are brimming with interesting artistic works.
Here are 5 of my favourite quirky sculpture to find along your travels north of the Yarra.
1. Brunswick bridge creepy heads (Freeway Bridge Project)
Take a stroll along an unassuming bridge in West Brunswick and you may be in for a bit of a shock. The thin pedestrian footbridge that crosses over CityLink has been adorned with rows of plaster faces along each side. The heads, sculpted by artist Mary Rogers, were designed to make the bridge seem a little less lonely.
Not unexpectedly, many of the faces have been vandalised, with most missing their noses and other facial features. The majority of faces have been painted over with various patterns and drawings such as teardrops. Gangsta much?
2. Gold head
Visitors to the All Nations Park in Northcote in January 2020 noticed that a new sculpture had popped up on a hill — it was a golden head. The council quickly removed it due to safety concerns and a couple more heads subsequently appeared and disappeared. With much speculation, the local council installed a more permanent version of the head.
The Golden Head is only a temporary artwork however and will be auctioned for charity in July 2021. Here’s hoping the buyer permanently installs it in a place where the public can enjoy its splendour.
Another giant head can be found in Brunswick in the form of a bust of King Leonidas in Sparta Place. What does Sparta have to do with Brunswick, I hear you ask? Well actually there are many people originally from Greece who now call Brunswick home, adding an international flavour to the area (e.g. spanakopita).
3. Fairfield Industrial Dog Object (FIDO)
Located next to Fairfield Train Station, FIDO is a giant dog sculpture made out of wood that greets people by wagging its tail and wiggling its ears. Fido, like many works of public art was controversial when it was commissioned by the local council. Many locals opposed the idea, including the significant price tag attached to it, but the council decided to install it anyway — referencing their mandate to support the arts.
Following its installation however, public support was generally in favour of the giant canine and why wouldn’t they be? Australians do love giant reproductions of objects.
4. Upside down La Trobe (Landmark)
The ‘Landmark’ statue is an homage to the Victorian colony’s first lieutenant-governor, Charles La Trobe. It looks like any typical bronze statue of a statesman that you might find scattered around the city, except for one key difference… he’s upside-down.
The statue copped a little bit of criticism for being disrespectful to Mr. La Trobe, although most people saw it in good humour. Indeed it is designed to be a satire of the way we commemorate people in statues, rather than a satire of La Trobe himself.
You can now find Upside down La Trobe in the grounds of the La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus.
5. Mr. Poetry
Greeting revellers in the bustling heart of the Brunswick Street precinct is the sculpture of a jovial man sitting atop a plinth. The sculpture is of the late poet, performer and journalist, Adrian Rawlins, a jovial and rotund fellow with his arms outstretched as if mid-performance or preparing to receive an applause. He blends in well with the rest of the street architecture and you could be forgiven for having gone past him many times and never even noticed him sitting there.
The statue was commissioned by the local council in the 90s as part of a project to revitalise Brunswick Street and capitalise on its burgeoning alternative scene. 25 years on he looks a little worse for wear, although perhaps this helps him to fit in with the area even more now than ever.
- Find where to say “Hello” to Mr. Poetry in Google Maps
- How many of these works of public art have you seen?
- Have you seen any other amazing public art in the north of Melbourne?
