Public art

Over the years, Mosman has acquired a small collection of public art works, which include monuments, fountains, bronze portrait busts and five contemporary artworks commissioned in recent times. These works are located at various sites throughout Mosman and have been designed and produced by established artists.

A list of these works is recorded in Council’s publication titled A guide to historical plaques, public art and monuments in Mosman. They include:

  • Billy, c. 1978 by Denis Adams
  • Meeting Place, 2004 by Anne Ferguson
  • HMS Sirius, 1988 by Alex Kolozsy
  • Archibald Mosman, 1998 by Judith Englert-Shead
  • Lucinda Memorial, 2001 by Hadyn Wilson
  • As Light is to Water, 2004 by Warren Langley

Meeting Place: Welumbulla Cyfarfod

Meeting Place: Welumbulla Cyfarfod (pronounced Well-um-bool-ah Ki-far-fod) was created by Anne Ferguson on commission from the Mosman Public Art Trust.

The sculpture – located in the Civic Centre forecourt at Mosman Square, Spit Junction – symbolises the coming together of two ancient cultures on common ground. Welumbulla is Aboriginal for coming back again to a place and Cyfarfod is Welsh for meeting or coming together, and is used as a reference to the Celtic ancestry shared by many Australians.

The sculpture consists of five granite blocks forming an ancient Celtic menhir. The sculpture features a flat top on which a linear, topographical map is engraved, depicting the local Mosman landscape and surrounding harbour. Water is pumped through the stone menhir to the top where it then spreads over the engraved surface in a shallow film before flowing down to the ground to be recycled.

The menhir is surrounded by a circle of star jasmine with three narrow, curved pathways leading from the edge of the circle to the sculpture. From an aerial perspective, the three pathways define a ‘triskelion’ pattern that appears in many ancient Celtic designs and images. The triskelion design has astrological significance, which is reinforced in the film of water on top of the menhir, as it acts as a mirror to the sky above.

Both the Celtic and Aboriginal cultures used the custom of engraving designs on local stones to mark places of significance. In this way, the sculpture continues an age-old tradition, defining Mosman Square as an important place in the community, a reference to the meetings of the Council of the Municipality of Mosman in the adjoining Civic Centre.

On top of the menhir, which is approximately 100cm high, a map enables the viewer to look at Mosman from the outside while simultaneously being located inside the area being viewed. The artist believes this experience will strengthen the viewer’s consciousness and appreciation of the surrounding landscape and the way Aboriginal people see their land.

The artist, Anne Ferguson was born in Broken Hill and has spent the last 38 years living in Mosman. She originally studied at the National Art School of Sydney. Across the course of her career she has had many commissions including a major work at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Meeting Place: Welumbulla Cyfarfod was unveiled by Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir, AC, Governor of New South Wales, on 12 July 2002.

Mosman Public Art Trust

Many of these public artworks have been commissioned by the Mosman Public Art Trust and gifted to the community. The purpose of the Trust is to “promote the visual arts and crafts, and in particular, public art, within the Municipality of Mosman for the benefit of residents and visitors and enrichment of cultural life in the community”. To achieve this purpose, the Trust raises funds by conducting the annual, Mosman Address dinner function and other fundraising activities.