Bondi Junction

The view before us, 2008

the view before us- Juliet Holmes a court.Juliet Holmes à Court
Mural
Spring St Alleyway, Waverley Library

Juliet Holmesà Court was Waverley Council’s first artist in residence, and her work shares a special connection with Waverley Library having received multiple commissions from the Library, including a five-panel commemorative series for the opening of the Ron Lander Centre.

This 19 metre-long painting is made up of multiple panels featuring a picturesque pre-colonial landscape. In this piece, Juliet depicts the view from Mill Hill before settlement. The left of the mural features Circular Quay while Robertson Park can be seen in the far right of the mural. Juliet consulted with the local historian and referenced archival material to help her depict a composite pre-settlement Sydney coastline.

Juliet also won the Waverley Art Prize in 2000 and describes her work as a site for contemplation and self reflection.

Waverley Library Galleries

Waverly Library is a lively community hub where critical discussion, enquiry and intellectual pursuit are both fostered and encouraged.

Located in Bondi Junction, one of Sydney’s busiest commercial and residential areas, the Library attracts 42,000 visitors a month to its wide range of public programs, events, exhibitions, performances, book clubs and lending services.

The Waverley Library Galleries comprise two separate exhibition spaces, the Foyer Gallery and the Atrium Gallery.

Visit the Waverley Library Galleries webpage for information about the current exhibition or on how to apply for an exhibition.

Murul, Sand, Dust and Dry Earth, 2004

Thylacine
Oxford Street Mall

Thylacine's Murul, Sand, Dust and Dry Earth is a series of sculptural elements and pavement inserts which enliven present day Oxford St Mall. They respond to two significant aspects of Bondi's heritage, early indigenous relations and the famous Bondi tram. The history of the Bondi Tram is re imagined through a series of children's play objects and a recreation of the tram rail within the pavement.

In the east and west end of Oxford Street Mall, the tram line is transformed into a symbolic exchange of language. Excerpts from the Journal of Lieutenant William Dawes are etched into the pavement. Dawes Hut was a safe haven for members of the early indigenous community. Here he befriended a young woman, Petyegarang. They shared an important and close relationship in the early colony through which they exchanged language as well as emotion, humour, intellectual discussions, and mutual respect.

In the pavement we see his translations of words and phrases across the two languages. Lieutenant Dawes was the first to make extensive written records of any indigenous Australian language. Unlike others who made lists of words or phrases, his writing recorded conversations, personalities, feelings and contexts of his indigenous counterparts. Dawes was also a key figure on an expedition to the Hawkesbury River where the group realised that Australian indigenous communities have a multitude of separate nations and languages, rather than a single one. He was also an early advocate for indigenous rights leading to his request for settlement being denied resulting in his return to England in 1791.

Additional information

Local Branches, 2001

Camie Lyons
Bronze
Cnr Brisbane and Ebley St

When Baron Edson died in May 1999 he left a bequest to Waverley Council for the construction of a sculpture at Bondi Junction. Edson owned property in the vicinity of Gray Street and wanted the sculpture placed close to the area with which he was so familiar. Camie Lyon’s Local branches won a competitive tenure in order to be erected and features branches from a range of local species immortalised in bronze.

Life Teeming, Life Teaming, 2011

Terrance Plowright
 Stainless Steel, sandstone, LED lighting
Hollywood Avenue

Terrance Plowright's Life Teeming, Life Teaming was commissioned as a part of the 2011 Oxford Street upgrade. The sculpture is made from over 2000 pieces and pays homage to the life of the sea and the surf. The subject is derived from both a dramatic wind-driven wave formation and a shoal of fish in motion. Terrance was commissioned for the 2000 Olympic Games and has also represented Australia at the Florence Biennale in 2013. Plowright Studios employs many welders, mosaic artists, stained glass professionals, painters and casters being one of Australia's larger studios specialising in the production of public art.

Park Life, 2012

Graham Chalcroft
 Laser cut hand stained Hoope Pine
Margaret Whitlam Recreation Centre

Award winning artist Graham Chalcroft was commissioned in 2011 to commemorate the opening of the Margaret Whitlam Recreation Centre. His work was generated from a series of workshops with the local community showing his commitment to community cultural development in public art. After running ‘Art in the Park’workshops, he collected local stories from a broad demographic including from the Bocce Club, Bondi United, Easts Cricket Club, Gaelic Athletics Club and local residents aged from 3 to 80. The design depicts a timeline of the parks use. It highlights the history of the Waverley Oval from its indigenous origins through to its current use as a hub of recreational activity.