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This mosaic made from opaque glass of various colours depicts the memories and history of Wimbo Park.
Artist: Peter Day
Collaborator: Lee Stafford
Collaborator: Lee Stafford
Artwork description
A mosaic mural made from opaque glass of various colours depicting the history of Wimbo Park where it is located.
The mural depicts the history and memories of Wimbo Park, which was known as Wimbo Paddock before becoming a stone yard. It shows people participating in recreational activities including men playing marbles, a tight-rope walker and a hot air balloon launching. The hot air balloon is based on the memories of local resident Ted Sykes who remembered the area as a site for circuses and hot air ballooning. The image of a carousel was drawn from the well-known 1910 photograph Razzle Dazzle by Harold Cazneaux, depicting the fun and movement of a local carnival.
The mosaic is now presented within a metal frame. It was originally installed in 1985, and reinstated in 1993 after developers removed it in 1992. It was removed again in 2019 to make way for the introduction of light rail and reinstated by the artist working with Melbourne Mural Studios in 2023 as part of the park upgrade.
The mosaic is near the Bourke Street entrance to Wimbo Park.
Artists
The mural was coordinated by local community artist Peter Day, in collaboration with Lee Stafford and local residents of Surry Hills.
Day was born in Sydney in 1949 and studied Industrial Design at the National Art School. He later undertook a Post-graduate Diploma in Industrial Design at the University of NSW and a Post-graduate Diploma in Professional Art Studies.
For much of his career, he has run his own design consultancy, including founding the Kirk Gallery, a not-for-profit community arts centre in Surry Hills. Day has also taught painting, design and sculpture at various Sydney colleges. He is the artistic director of the award-winning Peter Day Environmental Art+Design (EA+D), which specialises in site-specific public art.
