Posted on September 4, 2009 by by jr

Bunyip coming to Gungahlin

Statue campaign pays off

MEDIA ALERT – Embargoed until 11.00 am Friday 4/9/2009

‘Alexander Bunyip’ from the famous children’s book The Monster that ate Canberra will be immortalised in bronze outside the new Gungahlin Library.

The Gungahlin Community Council’s campaign for a public art piece recognising the popular children’s book by Michael Salmon has been successful, with ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope approving the idea for a sculpture.

“This is the book that introduced many Canberra children to reading, by allowing us to relate the book back to local monuments we knew so well,” said GCC President Alan Kerlin.

GCC suggested such a statue would be ideally located outside the new Gungahlin Library currently under construction on the corner of Hibberson and Gozzard Streets in the Gungahlin town centre.

From this location, pedestrians can look down Gozzard Street straight to the Telstra Tower on Black Mountain, which Alexander Bunyip thought was a “double yum ice cream sundae with nuts on top” and so proceeded to eat it.

“I am taken with the Gungahlin Community Council’s proposal and believe an artfully executed sculpture of the bunyip placed outside the new Gungahlin Library would be a very popular addition to the town centre’s landscape,” said Jon Stanhope in his reply (attached).

“The bunyip is certainly an icon for those of us who lived in Canberra during the 1970s and 80s, and still features prominently on the shelves of our public libraries,” he said.

The idea for the statue came during a lively debate on the Canberra blog site the-riotact.com. GCC committee member Estelle Sydney-Smith said “I reckon we should get a statue of that iconic Canberra legend Alexander Bunyip, The Monster That Ate Canberra.” Alan Kerlin replied “I’m picturing a statue of the bunyip biting a chunk out of the Telstra Tower, placed outside the new Gungahlin library! A tribute if you like to the book’s role in teaching kids to read.”

GCC went on to promote the idea through its website gcc.asn.au, its widely renowned community newsletter Gungahlin Smokesignals, children’s colouring competitions, and even sending copies of the books to MLAs like Andrew Barr and Jon Stanhope. The idea met with strong support across the board, striking a chord with both adults and children.

Author Michael Salmon soon found out about the idea, and has actively supported the campaign with books for competition prizes and promotion.

“The early years of a child’s education are critical, and a strong start to reading is the cornerstone of that education,” said Alan Kerlin. “If this statue helps foster more early reading, we will have achieved our goal by creating a lasting legacy.

“We also realise the government has had mixed reactions to some other urban art pieces. But we’re sure this will be something most people could easily relate to.”

MEDIA OPPORTUNITY
When: 11.00am Friday 4/9/2009
Where: Harrison Primary School

Michael Salmon, author of The Monster that ate Canberra, will be visiting students of Harrison School at 11.30 am on Friday for National Reading Day.

Michael and GCC representatives will be available for interview about the statue at 11.00 am, and photo opportunities with the students will be available during Michael’s presentation from 11.30 am.

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