Williamstown ironwork

I took my bike on the train to Williamstown to ride on the Hobson Bay Coastal Trail, followed by a seafood lunch. On the way, I saw a sculpture and a sculptural drinking fountain.

When I saw the antique cast iron Wilkinson Memorial Drinking Fountain at the pier, I knew what it was, as North Melbourne has a similar one. (See my post about drinking fountains of Melbourne for more.)

I was disappointed that the fountain no longer works, but given that it was made in Glasgow in the 1870s, what could I expect? There were plenty of other fully functional modern drinking fountains along the bicycle and walking trail.

“Keep the pavement dry”, the text of the canopy commands. At first glance and failing to note the “the pavement” part above the memorial crest, I thought it read, “Keep Dry”. That temperance commandment would have been appropriate as the fountain is a memorial for the teetotaller Reverend George Wilkinson. However, the commandment refers to a more mundane concern of the time, using a drinking fountain to squirt water at people, creating a wet pavement that would damage long dresses.

Considering the public provision of drinking water. There is also a Nelson Place Horse Trough, one of 500 horse troughs, which were part of a bequest from Annis and George Bills in 1927 to provide water to animals.

Mike Nicholls and Jonathan Leahey, Cargo, 2018

Various other bits of old iron, anchors, cannons, and other pieces of redundant military hardware were scattered along the Williamstown foreshore. Another iron object along the foreshore is Cargo 2018 by Mike Nicholls and Jonathan Leahey. This public sculpture is a location marker located by the path overlooking the sea at the turning point of the promontory. Its rust-red corten steel form is the simplified shape of a cargo ship, and its rectangular cargo containers standing vertically on its bow contrast with the ships on the smoggy horizon of Port Phillip Bay. The vertical is a relief along the shore as most things there are horizontal: the sea, the shore, the sky and the foliage of stunted wind-blown trees.

Mike Nicholls was a founding member of ROAR Studios in the 1980s who has been part of Melbourne’s art scene ever since, with work in many prominent collections. Jonathan Leahey is currently the resident sculptor at Gasworks Arts Park, has worked internationally on many sculpture projects.

There are more sculptures further along the Hobson Bay Coastal Trail, but I didn’t ride that far because my stomach was keen for lunch. Maybe next time.