Public Art Guide

Tim Moriarty, Indigraph, in collaboration with Balarinji was commissioned by North Sydney Council in celebration of the Guringai Festival 2006. Tim Moriarty has used his work Message Sticks to represent the story of the Cammeraygal People who lived on Sydney's North Shore.

Place: Cammeraygal Place, formerly known as Raleigh Street Plaza, Miller Street, Cammeray

Fairy Ring: Stone, ceramic, glass, pigment, tumbled and cement. Bears: Bronze. Sculpted by local artist Karen Atkins in 2007. Let the children play hide 'n' seek with the bears and enjoy a teddy bears picnic in the park.

Place: Grasmere Children's Park, Benelong Road, Cremorne

The May Gibbs Plaza Seatsare three organic formations covered by mosaic tiles, created by Cynthia Turner in 2002, and drawing inspiration from the work of Antonio Gaudi. Just around the corner, the Barry Street Aerosol Art Mural, depicting the history of Neutral Bay, was created by young people from Planet X Youth Centre. The mural previously covered twice the area it does today.

Place: Between Barry St and Military Rd, Neutral Bay

Officially unveiled in 2009, the cast bronze sculptures were inspired by a scene from May Gibbs' book "The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie" where a Banksia man threatens to drop Snugglepot down a deep hole.

Place: May Gibbs' Nutcote Garden, 5 Wallaringa Ave, Neutral Bay

Manubada Haurama and Abia Haurama, sculptures of a fisherman and woman in the style of figures from the Torres Strait, are by contemporary Indigenous artist, Shane Haurama. They were commissioned as part of the 2005 Guringai Festival.

Place: Kesterton Park, eastern end of High St, Neutral

The Australian Angel was presented to the people of New South Wales by the Swiss Government and the Swiss Australian community on the occasion of the 2000 Sydney Olympics and Paralympics. The descriptive plaques on the base of the sculpture outline the significance of the work and the materials used in its creation.

Place: Eastern part of Bradfield Park, Kirribilli

From a donation of money by Ms Jessie Broomfield, a monumental drinking fountain was built by North Sydney Council in 1953. To many it seemed a logical extension that a canine sculpture should adorn the pedestal to celebrate the "Jessie Broomfield Memorial Dog Drinking Fountain". The bronze sculpture by artist Clary Akon was commissioned in 2006 and installed in 2007.

Place: Bradfield Park North, Cnr Alfred Street and Lavender Street, Milsons Point

The Face of Luna Park has been 'redesigned' several times. Rupert Brown's was the original. Arthur Barton's appeared in the 1950s and has been the model for successive faces. Today's Face, by Ken Maher and Partners, was completed in 1995. On the inner and outer walls of the North Sydney Olympic Pool next door are art deco birds, frogs, dolphins and shells in plaster. Originally white, and designed by junior staff from the Pool's architect, Rudder & Grout in 1936, they were re-painted in the 1980s to a design by Feiko Bouman.

Place: Olympic Drive, Milsons Point

A cup of tea sculpture, humourous and whimsical by nature, gentle and poetic too. Dedicated to the memory of those who died in the Luna Park ghost train fire, 9 June 1979. Sculpted by Peter Kingston 2006. Cast by Crawford's foundry, Bronze.

Place: Art Barton Park, immediately west of Luna Park, Lavender Bay

Discover the Lavendar Bay Walk Hidden Treasures,miniature sculptures by Peter Kingston of cherished comic characters including Australian icons Blinky Bill, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, and the Magic Pudding.

Place: Lavender Bay foreshore, between Luna Park and Quiberie Park

Tucked away in the western corner of Clark Park are the Clark Park Sculptures,including a marble sculpture by du Bourg, installed in 1981, a bronze teapot entitled 'A Nite to Remember' by Edward Randall Moss and cast by Peter Kingston, 1987, and a bronze sculpture entitled 'Head' by Joe Allenberg, 1974.

Place: Clark Park, Lavender Bay

Not far along one of North Sydney's prettiest streets is Place of Lizards, a sandstone sculpture by Chris Bennetts, installed in 2002 and inspired by the Aboriginal word that gave the reserve its name.

Place: Gannura Reserve, Bank Street, North Sydney

A series of bronze sculptures with water flowing over three tiers of landscape, allows the passer-by to experience a sense of rest and relaxation in the built up environment of the CBD. The sculptures were installed in Mount Street Plaza in 1982-3.

Place: Mount Street, North Sydney

The Sculpture Garden created in 1957 at the entrance to the original MLC building (now owned by ING), still retains the rocks carved by Gerald Lewers. These seven organically shaped sandstone sculptures were part of a succulent garden designed to complement the modernist architecture of the building. Much of the original planting has now been lost.

Place: Miller Street, near Pacific Hwy, North Sydney

Murals depicting a wetlands theme, to serve as a backdrop to the innovative playground equipment which features snakes, lizards and frogs into the design. The murals were installed in 2009 and work as windows looking out to protect our eco-systems.

Place: Cahill Playground, Crows Nest

Eleven mosaic panels adorning the paths leading to the Crows Nest Community Centre were created in 1997 as a community arts project, under the guidance of Helen Pynor who also worked on the later Aqua Maine Mosaic.

Place: Crows Nest Centre, 2 Ernest Place, Crows Nest

The Aqua Marine Mosaic mural has transformed the concrete rendered fountain to the delight of local children. Look for the plaque listing the names of local artists who worked on the project.

Place: Ernest Place, Crows Nest