Historical information
Commissioned by the Friends of Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens and gifted to the Hepburn Shire in 2012.
Significance
Historical Significance - In 1848, Irish immigrant John Egan took up land on the future town site then known as Wombat Flat. He and a party of searchers found alluvial gold in 1851 on ground now covered by Lake Daylesford initiating the local gold rush. Other finds quickly followed. With the finding of alluvial gold a town site was surveyed and founded in 1852. Initially called Wombat, it was renamed Daylesford.
Cultural and Artistic Significance - Miriam Porter's 'Wombat' is a symbol of the Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens where visitors and locals alike love being photographed.
Physical description
Large scale solid redgum wombat sculpture.
Inscriptions & markings
Artist intends to sign the work with 'M' on one leg.
Subjects
References
- 'Friends of Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens' Autumn 2013 Newsletter Page 8 article about the installation of 'Wombat' at the Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens in May 2013.
- Miriam Porter's 'Wombat Seat' in front of the Daylesford Police Station July 2013 Facebook photograph of Miriam Porter's 'Wombat Seat' outside of the Daylesford Police Station, July 2013
- 'Wombat on plank' - photograph of the finished work by the artist Photograph of 'Wombat' by Miriam Porter prior to installation at the the Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens