royalbotanicgardens

This is a perfect rear view of the old Venus fountain in Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens. In the distance there is a man leaning against the bridge handrail with his back to the camera. If you look at photograph by Kerry in the Tyrrell collection of the front of the fountain you can see it was taken from that bridge. Here is the other view on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/2362680091/ Through at the Persistent URL for that image, we can see that in part the curator's note says: "... The image depicts The Venus fountain in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. The image appears to have been taken from a bridge in the gardens and part of the bridge is depicted in the foreground of the image. The Venus fountain is depicted in the centre of the image. It features a female figure with cupid and dolphins at her feet. The Venus fountain is located in the Main Pond in the Lower Garden of the Royal Botanic Gardens. The fountain and pond are the focal points of the image. The background of the image depicts the vegetation in the gardens. The caption, studio mark and studio number are inscribed on the reverse of the negative. The Venus fountain was originally made of zinc alloy with lead intrusions and mounted on a rock base. It features a female figure representing Venus with cupids and dolphins at her feet. Double fountain sprays are located with each dolphin and shell fountains with each cupid. The base of the fountain was originally surrounded by weathered rocks and large clam shells as depicted in this image. These were later replaced by a sculptured crocodile. The base of the fountain is currently unadorned. The statue was recast in bronze in 1990. 61/71 Tyrrell Inventory Number, 22 Kerry Studio Number" [ ref. 85/1284-14 Glass negative, full plate, 'The Lake, Botanical Gardens', Kerry and Co, Sydney, Australia, c. 1884-1917 www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=27979 ]

Girolamo Nerli (one of Heidelberg artists) - "Botanic Gardens, Sydney" 1886 (AGNSW) collection.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/results.do?db...

i love this. its always interesting how entertaining parks were the past

Interesting!!

Your photos are very cool!

Only the flags have changed . . . and maybe the second story windows on the left?

"Government House is located in Sydney alongside the Royal Botanic Gardens, overlooking Sydney Harbour, just south of the Sydney Opera House. Constructed between 1837 and 1843, the property has been the official residence of the Governor of New South Wales since Sir George Gipps in 1845, except for two brief periods; the first between 1901 to 1914, when the property was leased to the Commonwealth of Australia as the residence of the Governor-General of Australia,[1] and the second from 1996 to 2011. " en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_House,_Sydney

Thanks to both of you for the photo and the great background information. We'll add some of the information to the record the next time we update.

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/160391538 - the Sydney Mail, 20th November, 1929...this Sydney Mail pic looks to have been taken somewhat later... As you can see, the 'Seasons' statues that appear here are not the present day Botanical Gardens 'Seasons' statues... These 'Seasons' statues appear to have been imported from Italy by monumental mason Job Hanson for the Sydney International Exhibition of 1879-80...these 'Seasons' statues were on display in what was known as the Gardens Palace section of the Sydney Botanic Gardens in the later 19th and earlier 20th centuries...I haven't managed to discover what happened to these 'Seasons' statues...they all appear to have been in the Botanic Gardens in the 1920s...and 'Summer', at least, was still there in the late 1930s... trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/161872146 - the Sydney Mail, 27th September, 1879...'The flights of steps leading from the principal entrance to the lawns are completed. Their sides are ornamented with pieces of marble sculpture representing Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, which Mr. J. Hanson has had imported from his works in Italy ; and several large vases, also of marble. The steps run down to a broad pathway, leading into the Botanical Gardens.' (towards bottom of 2nd highlighted column)... trove.nla.gov.au/work/184209852 - NLA Fairfax pic of 'Spring' trove.nla.gov.au/work/184209601 - NLA Fairfax pic of 'Autumn' trove.nla.gov.au/work/184209600 - NLA Fairfax pic of 'Winter' www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/2414438941 - PHM Kerry & Co pic of 'Summer' All up, it appears that in the later 19th and earlier 20th centuries, the Botanic Gardens had two sets of 'Seasons' statues...the statues seen here...and the present day 'Seasons' statues, attributed to Charles F. Summers, which were acquired in 1883...and are described in this SMH item... trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13518872 - SMH, 10th January, 1883...'News of the Day...During the last few days an additional attraction has been given to our Botanic Gardens, in the form of eight marble statues, which now gleam white against masses of dark green foliage in various angles of the many walks which are so much appreciated by our citizens and visitors. They were purchased in Italy, and though not examples of the highest art - being indeed inexpensive works such as students and apprentices in Italian studios are mainly engaged in fashioning, their material gives them an immense superiority to plaster cast, and, situated as they are, they have a very attractive appearance. Four of them represent the seasons: -Spring, a fair maiden with her lap full of flowers; Summer, with her right arm encircling a sheaf of wheat and cornflowers, while her left hand grasps a sickle ; Autumn, a joyous Bacchanal, with one hand holding a bunch of grapes, while the other tosses aloft a wine-beaker ; and Winter, a wrinkled eider clasping a frost-killed bird to his bosom, The others are "Rebecca at the Well," a fair maiden bearing on her left shoulder a beautifully designed pitcher, and standing with uplifted drapery among a mass of ferns ; " La Ballarina," a girl pausing amid the dance, and bearing on one arm a wreath of flowers, presumably the reward of her graceful efforts ; " The Bather," a girl in close-fitting tunic, just sliding down into the water ; and the "Boy extracting a thorn," a copy of the well-known statue of tho name. All these statues are placed on well-finished freestone pedestals, and Mr. Charles Moore, the Director of the Gardens, has located them with excellent taste. Mr. Moore has also received some terra-cotta statues, medallions, and alto relieves, the first-named of which are suitable enough for display in the Gardens, while the others are eminently fit for exhibition in some public building.'

Also see www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/2515551200/ 'Summer' appears in this pic which looks to have been taken in 1938 or later... www.flickr.com/photos/193158484@N02/52471625622/