17 June 2009

A Hidden Canberra Gem - The National Public Service Memorial

| Rowdy
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The National Public Service Memorial, commissioned as a Bicentennial project, is an acknowledgement of the contribution made by Australia’s public servants to the good governance of Australia. It sits just to one side of Federation Mall near the East Block building now housing the National Archives of Australia. Although a very quiet part of the Parliamentary triangle, the location is appropriate as East Block was part of the first office accommodation constructed in Canberra to house public servants relocated from Melbourne.

Originally intended to be completed in 1988, the design, siting and funding of the Memorial provoked protracted negotiations between various government departments and agencies. Consensus on the various matters in dispute was not achieved until 1994 at which time construction commenced. Further delays ensued because of the need to find marble of suitable quality to be used for the Memorial. As a result it was not until early 1996 that the Memorial was finally ready to be formally inaugurated by the Governor-General.

Unfortunately the ceremony went unnoticed because of the impending federal election and the subsequent years have done nothing to draw public attention to its presence.

The Memorial is of modest size, standing a little over 3 metres high. When viewed directly from the front it is seen as two elongated and overlapping ovals of thin metal tubing surmounting a marble column which, it turn,
stands on a large square slab of black granite. The overlapping ovals are symbolic of a harmonious and inclusive ideal of public administration. The tubing is chromed to reflect all the light it receives, emitting none of its own, consistent with the public service’s commitment to faithfully mirror in its policy settings not its own views but the needs and aspirations of all Australians. Special care has been taken to ensure that the ovals are precisely aligned with the vertical, leaning neither left nor right.

The Memorial’s design, however, offers a more nuanced view of public administration than is perceived at first glance. When stepping to either side of the Memorial, the visitor sees that the oval structure is open-ended; the perfection seen when standing directly in front of the Memorial is illusory. From the side, ideal of public administration is shown as an imperfectly realised outcome. There are, the Memorial defiantly proclaims, always loose ends. Perhaps it is also, in more light-hearted sense, an acknowledgement of the public servant’s perennial problem of making ends meet. In yet another sense, the design highlights the often cyclical, incrementally advancing nature of public policy.

In a city of public servants, the Memorial deserves far more attention than it receives. With celebrations of the end of the financial year soon upon us, why not make a lunchtime pilgrimage to the Memorial and reflect on its
timeless message.

[ED – The information in this post may, or may not, actually be true.]

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*Looks up from preparing explosives designed to blow up monuments*

…wait, photoshop?

This brings to mind a prank pulled by John Deeble, a Canberra artist.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s journos were on strike for a week or so some time in the early 80′ and management were writing the stories (scabbing, as it were). As you’d imagine they were pretty thin editions, with bugger all real news. Up pops John Deeble.

From recollection, Deeble was a sculpture student living in Sydney at the time, and he’d re-plaqued several landmark sculptures around central Sydney with simple “Sculptor – John Deeble” plaques.

One of the management writers noticed a few of the pieces and on doing some research discoved that nothing had ever been written about the artist. With no real news to print the Herald ran a front page on ‘the little known great artist’, and followed up with further discoveries of his work over the next few days. By Thursday’s edition Deeble’s hoax had been unearthed and a photo of the artist, with a paper bag over his head, appeared on page one with the caption “Sculptor – John Deeble”.

I’d love to see these photos pinned to the appropriate location on google earth for the benefit of all the virtual tourists.

Like this? 🙂

poptop said :

arts grant. Arts Grant!! ARTS GRANT!!!!

+1

This would be much better than a crappy windmill in the middle of the road.

arts grant. Arts Grant!! ARTS GRANT!!!!

I’d love to see these photos pinned to the appropriate location on google earth for the benefit of all the virtual tourists.

Banning something just makes it even cooler!

it was the obvious solution. That, or reading documents before posting them….

The propensity of paperclips to grab miscellaneous bits of paper, as happened on this occasion, causing certain bits of paper to accompany other bits of paper that were sent out to an entity, Murphy’s Law ensuring that these were the most unsuitable bits of paper to be given to this particular entity.

The Secretary then baned paperclips from being used in the building. The ban is still in force.

neanderthalsis9:41 am 18 Jun 09

ant said :

You could set this up near DFAT and cause An Incident, as paperclips have been banned in DFAT since a certain embarassing occurance caused by one (not making that up). Paperclips are now contraband there.

I’m intrigued. What possible embarrassing occurrance could warrant the banning of paperclips in a large Govt Dept?

Auntyem said :

How about a red granite path around it to reflect the red tape you need to overcome to approach it?

more brilliance!

brilliant! i love your descriptive and insightful interpretation of the memorial.

Rowdy – I love it!

“Special care has been taken to ensure that the ovals are precisely aligned with the vertical, leaning neither left nor right.”

“From the side, ideal of public administration is shown as an imperfectly realised outcome.”

You are very clever indeed…

How about a red granite path around it to reflect the red tape you need to overcome to approach it?

Beserk Keyboard Warrior8:23 am 18 Jun 09

Love ya work Rowdy!

James-T-Kirk8:13 am 18 Jun 09

G O L D !!!!!!!

Thats twice you’ve got me! (I presume the “immigration Bridge” was one of yours too right?)

LurkingMarsupial5:59 am 18 Jun 09

Props to Rowdy for style, warmth & ATD.

Slops to zig for flaunting what is either shameful (offensive) fantasy/misunderstanding or (conceivably – if experience-based) shameful history.

ED – did you have to add the disclaimer?

Before realising it was indeed Maya’d/Photoshopped- I was thinking that they just uses the same metal piping for the paper clip as they do for the old city bike racks. Memorial and glorified bike rack.

+ 11ty on submitting the idea. You’d definitely get a ridiculously sized check for your effort.

I was puzzled as I began reading this, as I know that area pretty darn well and never noticed this edifice. then had another look at the thing on the column, and all became clear.

You could set this up near DFAT and cause An Incident, as paperclips have been banned in DFAT since a certain embarassing occurance caused by one (not making that up). Paperclips are now contraband there.

hahaha, good one. I was about to give it a serious read until I saw the paperclip. After seeing some ‘undesirable’ sculptures around town, I think this is by far better. Get it built!

I was intrigued until I saw the paperclip! hahahahaha!

Love, love, love it. Funny, clever, ironic … lots of other fulsome superlatives thrown your way Rowdy. Thankyou.

I wish it was built! Why shouldn’t we have a ‘Big Paperclip’?

Stainless Steel Rat10:24 pm 17 Jun 09

Very well done, love it!

Totally agree that if you sent it to the right people it would end up getting built!!

You’re two months and 16 days too late for this one. Still, it’s funny.

A “memorial” for all that time spent:

1) playing solitaire
2) surfing news.com.au
3) running personal errands at work
4) preparing and eating breakfast at work and counting it as work time
5) having two hour lunches
6) having work hours that start between 9-10 and finish at 4 regardless
7) time spent whining and bleeting

haha love it!

ROFL. Nice photoshop work 🙂

aronde said :

BerraBoy68 said :

ROFLMAO. If only that could have waited till April 4!

Despite the Disclaimer up front (WTF are you on, aronde and Grunge_hippy?)the picture and text provided the best laugh of the day.

Very, very well done Rowdy!

I never said it wasn’t funny – I was laughing my head off when I typed in my quick response – get a grip!

Good grief.

BerraBoy68 said :

ROFLMAO. If only that could have waited till April 4!

Despite the Disclaimer up front (WTF are you on, aronde and Grunge_hippy?)the picture and text provided the best laugh of the day.

Very, very well done Rowdy!

I never said it wasn’t funny – I was laughing my head off when I typed in my quick response – get a grip!

I reckon if you sent in the plans with that spiel to the ACT Government someone might just build the thing.

Awsome Rowdy.
You should send the article to a “Canberra bashing” tabloid & see if they bite!

Holierthanthou8:44 pm 17 Jun 09

leet shooping

grunge_hippy8:19 pm 17 Jun 09

was it meant to be funny?

*slaps forehead*

me have no brain. me no see funny.

canberra bureaucrat8:18 pm 17 Jun 09

Yep, absolute gold!

Perhaps it is only funny to some of us…

BerraBoy68 said :

ROFLMAO. If only that could have waited till April 4!

Despite the Disclaimer up front (WTF are you on, aronde and Grunge_hippy?)the picture and text provided the best laugh of the day.

Very, very well done Rowdy!

Dóh. Where the F*** did I get April 4 from?! More fool me.

You should have saved this one for 1st April.

Gold.

ROFLMAO. If only that could have waited till April 4!

Despite the Disclaimer up front (WTF are you on, aronde and Grunge_hippy?)the picture and text provided the best laugh of the day.

Very, very well done Rowdy!

insert humour module people.

note disclaimer.

engage brains.

grunge_hippy7:08 pm 17 Jun 09

the whole thing looks photoshopped.

FAKE!

Looks like a photoshopped paperclip to me!

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