Botanic Gardens, Woolloomooloo Gate, fountain

A pair of these simple fountains sit outside the Woolloomooloo Gate of the Royal Botanic Gardens, along Mrs Macquaries Drive. The gate was originally built in 1873 as the main southern entrance to The Domain. It was moved during the construction of the Cahill Expressway to its present position and became known as the Woolloomooloo Gate because it overlooks the suburb of Woolloomooloo.

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Botanic Gardens, Governor Phillip Fountain

The Governor Phillip Fountain is located in the Royal Botanic Gardens, close to Macquarie Street. It was created by the Italian sculptor Achille Simonetti and unveiled in 1897 to honour Captain Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales. This magnificent 15.24 metre high fountain features a marble pedestal for the 4.5 metre bronze statue of Captain Phillip. The pedestal features three reliefs of Justice, Patriotism and Education. Below the pedestal are the reclining bronze figures of Neptune (Navigation), Agriculture, Cyclops (Mining) and Commerce. The four marble consoles are embellished with bronze plaques of Aboriginal people. Between the figures are four giant marble clam shells each surmounted by bronze prows of ships and twin giant sea serpents which feed water into the white marble basins. A view from the front can be seen here.

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Oatlands, golf club

This fountain is located outside the Oatlands Golf Club, in the north western suburb of Oatlands. The Oatlands Golf Course, which was opened in 1931, is known for such annual events as the NSW Women's Open Championship.  

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Government House

Government House is located alongside the Royal Botanic Gardens, overlooking Sydney Harbour. It was formerly the official residence, and remains the official reception space, of the Governor of New South Wales. It was designed by Edward Blore, in the Gothic revival architectural style. Building commenced in 1837 with Governor George Gipps becoming the first resident in 1845. It is now managed by the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales as a museum. A view in the opposite direction can be seen here.

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Botanic Gardens, Venus Fountain

The Venus Fountain statue sits in the Main Pond of the Royal Botanic Gardens. The original  sculpture was erected prior to 1880, leading up to the International Exhibition. The base of the fountain was surrounded by weathered rocks and large clam shells, which were later replaced by a sculpted crocodile. The badly deteriorating statue was removed in August 1990 and cast in bronze. It was installed in the pond in September 1994 but the original was lost in the process.

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Eastwood, fountain

This fountain is located in the Rowe Street pedestrian mall, in the north western suburb of Eastwood.

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Darling Harbour, fountain

This fountain has been incorporated into the wall of Sydney Wildlife World at Darling Harbour.

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Government House, garden (Theme Day: Fountains)

The fountain in the formal gardens of Government House, surrounded by the Royal Botanic Gardens and looking out towards Sydney Harbour. Government House was the official residence of 27 Governors from 1846 to 1996. Since then, the Historic Houses Trust has managed Government House as a museum and a 'working State House' with public guided tours, vice-regal receptions and government, community and cultural events taking place there every week.
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Crows Nest, community centre

This fountain featuring a fascinating mosaic with an aquatic theme is located in the pedestrian mall outside the community centre, in the northern suburb of Crows Nest.

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Hornsby, water clock (Theme Day: Time)

"Man, Time and the Environment", also known as the Hornsby Water Clock or Hornsby Water Sculpture is a fusion of kinetic sculpture, decorative fountain, musical instrument and a functional clock. It is located in Hornsby Mall, a pedestrian mall in Florence Street, in the northern suburb of Hornsby. This work, unveiled in 1993, was created by Australian sculptor Victor Cusack from cast bronze, stainless steel, and toughened plate glass. It is approximately 8 metres tall and weighs 20 tonnes, including the pontoon which rotates one revolution every 12 hours as a pointer sweeps past Roman numerals on the fountain’s perimeter, with the mechanisms driven by water. Time is represented by three types of water-powered clocks, a 4th century BC Greek clepsydra, an 11th century Chinese water wheel clock and a 17th century Swiss pendulum clock, plus a 17-note bronze tubular bell carillon that rings the hour based on a design found in an 18th century English church. Environment is represented by sculpted forms of the fauna of Hornsby Shire from the rainbow lorikeet, to the blue tongue lizard, the fruit bat and possum. The clock face bears the inscription "Dare We Forget" as a reminder of the importance of preserving the environment. Man is represented by the figure of a woman and a child.

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Il Porcellino, Sydney Statues: Project!

Il Porcellino is a bronze sculpture and fountain which sits outside the historic Sydney Hospital, in Macquarie Street. It has been dressed up for the Sydney Statues: Project! as part of the Art & About Sydney festival. The original Il Porcellino is on display in the Museo Bardini in Florence, Italy. This copy was presented to the hospital in 1968 by the Marchessa Clarissa Torrigiani in memory of her father and brother, both renowned surgeons at the hospital. The legend of rubbing the snout of Il Porcellino for good luck, provides a polished sheen.

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Lumière, fountain

This fountain is located outside the Bathurst Street entrance of Lumière, a new residential and commercial building. It looks best at night, lit up with colours.

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Botanic Gardens, pond

This pond is located beside the Oriental Garden, close to the Palm Grove Centre, in the Royal Botanic Gardens. There were quite a few flying foxes (or fruit bats) sleeping in the trees above.

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Botanic Gardens, Biennale, The Unbearable Lightness of Being

The Main Pond at the Royal Botanic Gardens hosted this floating art installation for the 17th Biennale of Sydney. 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' by artist Choi Jeong Hwa was a four-metre plastic lotus flower that inflated and deflated every minute. The fluoro colour looked a bit faded by the end of the biennale when I photographed it but it was still impressive to watch. There's a video of this installation in action at the Royal Botanic Gardens site here.

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Cook and Phillip Park, zorbing

Thrillseekers were recently able to walk on water in one of the fountains, in the square beside Cook and Phillip Park. The 3.2m clear plastic inflated orb has double-sectioned balls, with one ball inside the other and an air layer in between. Zorbing usually involves an orb rolling downhill or off a ramp but in this case the rolling was on water. The rope ensured thrillseekers didn't end up rolling down the hill into the park or into the traffic on College Street or William Street. It was one of the attractions here at the recent Australian Winter Festival which also featured an ice rink.

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Botanic Gardens, Vivid Sydney

The Wishing Well Fountain sits outside the Palace Garden Gate entrance to the Royal Botanic Gardens on Macquarie Street. The blue illumination was part of Giving Gardens, a display of growing plants and light projections for the Vivid Sydney festival. Governor Lachlan Macquarie declared part of his Governors Domain a Botanic Garden in 1816 and put up a wall to protect it. The Royal Botanic Gardens and Mrs Macquaries Road through it, were developed under the direction of his wife Elizabeth Macquarie.

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Hyde Park, Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney is a festival of light, music and ideas which ran from 27th May to 21st June. This is the second year that the city has held the festival that features large-scale light installations and projections, music performances and creative ideas summits. This year in Hyde Park, the Archibald Fountain and trees were bathed in a blue light. A daytime photo of the Archibald Fountain can be seen here.

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Kogarah, water feature

This water feature runs almost the entire length of Kogarah Town Square. The water rises from the three fountains which spill into a pool. The water cascades down a number of terraces and drains into a spiral amongst the grasses. It was installed around the time that the square opened in 2005. On the 28th March 2009, a memorial was installed dedicated to International Workers Memorial Day. Today is a day that workers, union, families and communities remember and mourn those who have been killed or injured at work and fight for the living.

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Rookwood, horse fountain

The horse fountain in the middle of scenic Rookwood Gardens. A couple of rainbow lorikeets are taking a bath at the top of the fountain.

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Rookwood, fountain

I was quite surprised to see that they had built a large cafe at the entrance to Rookwood Cemetery on my recent visit. I've never seen anything like that in a cemetery before but I suppose it's a way to make these places more inviting and is also used for funeral functions and memorials. This combined florist and cafe also features a courtyard with an ornamental fountain.

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