Passage is a water sculpture by Anne Graham that forms part
of the Sydney Sculpture Walk. This work acknowledges the architectural
and cultural history of early Sydney and interacts with nearby
Georgian buildings such as the Hyde Park Barracks and the
Mint.
Images
Water,
water every where
This installation in Martin Place called ‘Passage’
was created by Anne Graham for the Sydney Sculpture Walk
in 2001. The passage of traffic and pedestrians along
the whole length of Martin Place through to Macquarie
Street was only achieved with the opening of this part
of the road in the 1930s. Before then this space was covered
in housing. The fine spray is a source of enjoyment and
a place of exploration. (City of Sydney
Archives, CRS 904/B004)
Ghost
Houses
There were freestanding cottages on this site by at least
the 1840s. The walls of houses past are traced into the
pavement with inlaid black granite and stainless steel
grilles. A mist rises every ten minutes from these grilles
creating an illusion of the space once occupied by past
residents. (City of Sydney Archives, CRS
904/C004)
With
a washroom out the back
The three bronze bowl fountains represent the work of
water at the rear of the Georgian houses. Washrooms were
placed at the rear of houses and water would have been
carried from the Tank Stream for using in the kitchen
and for washing the clothes. The Sydney Hospital in Macquarie
Street closes the vista at the end of Martin Place.
(City of Sydney Archives, CRS 904/C004)
Blowing
in the wind
The mists of time are always in a different formation.
While pedestrians delight in this water feature, motorists
on Macquarie Street do not always appreciate the effect.
If the wind is blowing to fiercely in that direction the
‘mist’ is turned down or off and to the passer-by
the scene is never the same twice. (City
of Sydney Archives, CRS 904/C003)
