Sydney welcomes landmark sculpture

Sydney’s biggest landmark sculpture at the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney was launched on the 9th of March by Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, Governor of New South Wales.

Executive Director of Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Dr Tim Entwisle said unlike most sculptures, this one is an evolving piece of art where native flora and fauna will make it their home, while it pays deep respect to the Cadigal, the traditional Aboriginal custodians.

“Visitors’ hearts and minds will be captivated by the Johnson Estate Sculpture as it changes with nature over time, while it strongly identifies with our Aboriginal heritage.  To signify this, today it has been given a local Aboriginal name by Aboriginal elder and consultant Allen Madden.  The name, Wurrungwuri (pron: woorung-woóree) means ‘this side - on this side of the water,” Dr Entwisle said.

“This majestic sculpture consists of two parts, one built from 16,000 threaded quartz pebbles, the other from local sandstone. The wave-like sandstone form appears to emerge from the bedrock below Government House to cascade down the lawn towards Sydney Harbour. An outstanding location and an outstanding piece of art.”

The Johnson Estate Sculpture is a gift to Sydney by the late Ronald Johnson, Sydney finance executive and keen art lover. Mr Johnson committed the bulk of his estate for a sculpture overlooking Sydney Harbour. 

Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Edmund Capon, AM, OBE, said the selection of internationally acclaimed New Zealand born artist Chris Booth to create the sculpture was perfect for the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney.

“The location requires an expression of harmony of natural materials and human contemplation and Chris Booth’s previous work admirably reflected that ability.  The sculpture has the appearance of some natural convulsion that has emerged from the ground on which it sits and yet it is a work profoundly articulated by the human mind and imagination.  It is both structured, that is human, and unstructured, that is natural.  It is a monument of intrigue that raises, not our hackles, but our curiosity,” Mr Capon said.

Sculptor, Chris Booth said he has used a pattern from a rare Aboriginal Shield, the ‘Sydney Shield’, after gaining permission from Allen Madden on behalf of the Cadigal people.

“This pattern, to me, is the heart of the sculpture – the flower,” Mr Booth said.  “In allowing the use of this extremely beautiful and important design, the sculpture becomes a bi-cultural statement, of great relevance to the site and place.  It was and is a place of significance to Cadigal/Eora from long before and following the first contact period with Europeans.  I’ve created the sculpture to reflect a holistic, genuine respect for nature; our atmosphere, ocean, earth, our society and all living things -- more vital to our survival today than it ever was in past societies,” he said.

Johnson Estate Trustee, Garry Boyce said Wurrungwuri was completed within the budget of approximately $4.5 million with funds left over in excess of $1.5 million going to the residuary, the St. Luke’s Hospital Foundation Trust.