Hornsby Water Sculpture
The Hornsby Water Sculpture is a unique fusion of sculpture, fountain, musical instrument, and clock. It is inspired by nature and culture from around the world and throughout history.
The work was commissioned by Hornsby Shire Council and created by the renowned Australian sculptor Victor Cusack, who entitled it “Man, Time and the Environment”.
Victor Cusack intended the sculpture as an environmental statement, particularly relevant to Hornsby Shire with its abundant unspoilt bushland and waterways. Its symbolism contrasts the joyful creativity of past culture with humanity’s increasing difficulty co-existing with other species on the planet. The sculpture therefore represents an historic “watershed” in which time is the essence.
The sculpture is constructed from cast bronze, stainless steel, and toughened plate glass and weighs approximately 20 tonnes complete with its pontoon which rotates one revolution every 12 hours. All the mechanisms are driven by water.
The theme of “time” is represented by the incorporation of three water clocks based on a variety of historical designs: an ancient Greek clepsydra or “filling clock” from the fourth century BC, an eleventh-century Chinese water wheel clock, and a seventeenth-century Swiss pendulum clock. The clepsydra is based on the first timepiece known to have been built. The sculpted forms are derived from ancient Greek art and include a ram’s head and a “hermaphrodite” human head. The water wheel is based on a clock designed by Su Song in China between AD 1088 and 1092. The third clock is believed to be the largest water-driven pendulum clock in the world. A series of water jets indicate the hour of the day on Roman numerals in the surrounding outer pond.
The sculpture also includes a seventeen note tubular bell carillon based on an unusual eighteenth-century English design. The carillon is tuned to concert pitch and is designed to be played on festive occasions.
Other cultural influences include Aboriginal artistic motifs.
The theme of “environment” is represented by sculpted forms of the fauna of Hornsby Shire, including the tawny frogmouth, the rainbow lorikeet, the pied cormorant, the fairy penguin, the pelican, the water dragon, the blue tongue lizard, the goanna, the fruit bat, and the possum. The sculpture is topped by a life-sized sea eagle with a wingspan of over 2 metres, and at the base the figure of a woman and child represent the human species. The clock face bears the inscription “Dare We Forget”, a reminder of the importance of preserving the environment.
The Hornsby Water Sculpture was unveiled in a festival held from 19 to 21 March, 1993. From that time on, it has been the centrepiece of Hornsby Mall and a local landmark.
