A sculpture that is often brought up in conversation because of it’s prominent location in a dam by the busy Majura Parkway. This sculpture was originally created for a site-specific assessment while studying at the Australian National University School of Art.
This sculpture is representative of a contemporary ACT coat of arms. The sculpture is comprised of four symbolic elements; the gumtree represents the environment of the ‘bush capital’. The boomerang acknowledges the Ngunnawal people, the traditional owners and custodians of the land and also is symbolic of the rolling hills around the Canberra region. New Parliament House represents the Government that acts as the central part of our country. The swans represent not only the aboriginal and settlers but our multicultural nation supporting the elements of the shield. The location of the sculpture is important as the lake is a central part of Canberra’s identity. These elements unite to invigorate thought towards a modern identity of the nation’s capital; a city without ties to ‘Queen and Country’ and its own story to tell.
Fred McGrath Weber, Contemporary ACT Coat of Arms (2016). Painted corrugated iron, steel. Images by Fred McGrath Weber.
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