Hyde Park, Archibald Fountain

The Archibald Fountain is an art deco style fountain in Hyde Park, near College Street, designed by French artist Francois Sicard and unveiled on 14 March 1932. The fountain is named after J.F. Archibald, owner and editor of The Bulletin, a newspaper which later became a magazine that encouraged writers to write about Australia. He bequeathed funds to build it to commemorate the association of Australia and France in World War I. The fountain features mythological characters of ancient Greece. The central pedestal features a bronze sculpture of Apollo with the fan-like shape of water formed by jets rising behind it, representing the rising sun. There are three granite plinths radiating from the central pedestal featuring the following bronze sculptures: Artemis, the goddess of the wilderness, the hunt, wild animals and fertility depicted here with a bow, a deer and hunting dogs. Jason with the Golden Fleece and the good things of the earth. Theseus slaying the Minotaur which represents the sacrifice for the good of humanity. The large basin is decorated with six tortoises which throw jets of water.
Today marks the ten year anniversary of the first photo I posted on this blog which was also a photo of this fountain which can be seen here. To celebrate, I returned yesterday for another look at the fountain; this time with St Mary's Cathedral as a backdrop.

Limked to: Our World Tuesday, Life Through The Lens, Travel Tuesday, InSPIREd Sunday.