A sculpture, by Bill Dangar, depicting Signor Vertelli’s crossing of Dangar Gorge on a high wire in 1886, is the first of what is hoped to be many public art installations around Armidale, coordinated by Armidale Dumaresq Council’s Public Art Advisory Committee.
The sculpture was unveiled in its new home, Curtis Park, in the McCarthy Gardens last Friday by Armidale Dumaresq Mayor Jim Maher.
“This is the first piece that we have been able to provide under the new public art policy and is a significant piece,” said Chair of Armidale Dumaresq Council’s Public Art Advisory Committee, Councillor Chris Halligan.
“It is a contemporary artwork depicting a historical event and has a relationship to our culture here in Armidale and we are really proud that we have been able to bring all the framework together to make this happen.”
The artist in Bill Dangar developed later in his life. However, his family has always had an artistic streak running through it. Part of a prominent grazing family in the New England, over many years Bill developed his welding skills through necessity, constructing steel cattle runs and everyday farm work on the family properties.
“Creating art has come out later in my life,” Bill said.
“I have always enjoyed doing things with my hands; I haven’t done many sculptures but I also built my own house, which I think is a sculpture.”
Bill mapped out the sculpture in chalk on the floor of his barn, both front and side-on and drew inspiration from Leonardo De Vinci’s famous ‘David’ sculpture to help with the proportions of the human body.
“I started with a piece of steel quarter inch rod and bent it into sort of a shape and worked off that,” said Bill.
“It took forever, but I got there in the end.”
Bill’s family have been in the region since the 1840s and, over the years, have contributed to the community. Bill felt it was his turn to give
back to the community that has given him and his family so much joy.
Story: Jo Harrison
