The new sign at Bruce is the first in the series, which will see signs installed in Barton, Curtin, Forde, Page, Deakin, Holt, Reid, Chifley, Fadden, Hughes, Scullin, Cook, Fisher, Lyons and Watson, in the lead-up to the Centenary of Canberra in 2013.
Dr Bourke said the signs, which would feature a short biography and photograph, are an ideal way to recognise and celebrate the heritage of Canberra’s suburbs.
“Our system in the national capital, of naming streets and suburbs after notable Australians, is unique, and I have no doubt that many Canberrans mention these place names every day without being aware of the stories behind them,” said Dr Bourke.
“The Centenary of Canberra offers a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of this intriguing aspect of our city, and to remind commuters of the contribution of these many well-known – and less well-known – Australians, who have contributed to our country’s success.
“For example, today it’s appropriate this first new sign to be revealed is in Bruce – which is named after the Right Honourable Viscount Stanley Bruce, who celebrated his birthday on the 15th of April.
“Born in 1883, Stanley Bruce was serving as the 8th Prime Minister of Australia when the momentous decision was made to move the seat of government from Melbourne to Canberra.
“He had particularly strong links to Canberra – he was the first Chancellor of the Australian National University, and following his death in 1967, his ashes were scattered on Lake Burley Griffin.
“It’s my great pleasure to reveal this first sign, and I encourage all residents and visitors to take the opportunity to pause and learn a little more about the iconic Australian Prime Ministers behind these suburb names, as the remaining 15 signs are installed throughout 2012,” Dr Bourke said.
What sort of pill would they use for Downer?
Chop71 said :
Total.
OverLord said :
They could re-appropriate the ‘owl’ statue.
It’s sad really – when I look at something like that, I see a big grafitti magnet. When I looked at the new bus shelters, I saw vandalism magnets. Sure enough, it didn’t take the local lowlifes long to start busting them up “for fun”.
It’s sad that we live in a society where the LCD are quite happy to destroy any attempts to “beautify” the banal just for something to do. Makes me wonder what the point is.
Charnwood – a joint production of Centrelink and DHCS.
Darkfalz said :
With commercial consideration by McDonalds.
Going to be a bit harder to fix the Cook sign when it invariably gets defaced. Looks like it will take more than a paint brush and some mission brown!
The Holt sign will mysteriously go missing…
But they could get a chinese submarine as public art?
johnboy said :
Yes! Please!
Oh man, it may take a bit of effort with my printer, but for the Bruce sign;
“Stanley Melbourne Bruce; “It’s hot enough to boil a monkey’s bum in here, your Majesty,” he once said. He was head of logical positivism, in charge of the sheep dip, and didn’t like stuck-up sticky-beaks. His catchphrase was; “No Poofters!!”
Ben_Dover said :
i was thinking a giant pair of fishnets…
rosyboa said :
brilliant comment!!
It should be a painting of a giant condor, not a sculpture, for Conder.
Maybe Banksy could be commissioned to do an artwork of a bank building on the river bank, with Joseph Banks beside it doing a botanical drawing, for Banks.
A Beer Can Pyramid for Kambah.
Has to be that at a minimum, either that or a few upside down STOP/GiveWay signs. LMAO
Why are there only 16 signs as part of this project?
New Yeah said :
Maybe they could move the statue of the Boner from Belconnen?
Lazy I said :
Damn, beat me to it!
chewy14 said :
+1 Yes! Does ACT take requests for art? A 1:1 scale Millenium Falcon at the junction of Horse Park and Gundaroo Drives would be perfect.
Keijidosha said :
i believe it has to do with the number of long-dead prime ministers after whom these suburbs are named. there are plans afoot to replicate the concept for all suburbs, i understand, but didn’t catch the timing of this in the i/v i heard on my abc a couple weeks back. i stand to be corrected…
Ben_Dover said :
Lol. I have no idea what you’re talking about but I still laughed pretty hard.
Ben_Dover said :
Aha, my favourite reference that nobody ever gets! Perhaps you could put the national anthem on the back?
“This here’s the wattle,
the emblem of our land.
You can stick it in a bottle,
you can hold it in your hand.”
http://orangecow.org/pythonet/sketches/bruces.htm
emd said :
this one has to happen!! wil almost be worth the drive there to see it…
RaTTyRaTT said :
Or a giant abandoned hubcap
Thoroughly Smashed said :
Off a Hyundai Excel but damaged so it won’t be nicked and reused…
(If giant Excels did in fact exist)