Forty-five years ago, Wollongong celebrated the commissioning of a magnificent new fountain in the heart of the city centre.
Its designer, the late Robert (Bob) Woodward, was – and still is – widely regarded as Australia's pre-eminent creator of fountains. His talent and creativity is on show daily in significant public places across Australia and around the world.
At its launch, on 27 November 1980, it was described as eye-catchingly wonderful, but all these years later, Wollongong Council may well have sounded the death knell for the fountain. Plans for its future, just released, are recommending it should never flow again. It's raised concerns that Council doesn't recognise the significance of the fountain, its creator, and an understanding that this is the only fountain in Wollongong – or in the Illawarra – of any scale.
Fountain gifted to the city by Mercury
In the late 1970s, The Illawarra Mercury decided to present a special gift to the city to celebrate the newspaper's 125th year of publication and to thank locals for their support over all those years. After weighing up a number of options, it was decided to commission the legendary Bob Woodward to create a striking, unique fountain to be located in the small Rest Park in Burelli Street, on a site more recently occupied by the Diggers Club.
Woodward's brief was to create an eye-catching fountain that would add to the Wollongong story and provide a place for rest, reflection and recreation in the centre of the CBD. It became known as the Mercury Five Islands Fountain, as a monumental tribute to the islands which dominate Wollongong's ocean views, and which continue to have a strong connection to First Nations people who've lived here for tens of thousands of years.
The striking new fountain was set into a landscaped inner-city garden and, at the official opening, the Illawarra Mercury was praised for creating a lasting recognition of the strong bond between the newspaper and the community. The fountain became a popular attraction in its own right for people working in or visiting the city, especially in the warmer summer months when passers-by used the fountain to cool off.
The fountain had to be relocated
Pictures provided to The Illawarra Flame from David Bottin at Lost Wollongong show just how loved the fountain was in those early years.
Despite its popularity, the fountain's stay in the city was short lived. Soon after its opening, David Jones sought an extension to its car park and negotiated with Council to acquire Rest Park, meaning the fountain would have to be moved.
In 1984, it was decided to relocate the fountain to the Wollongong Botanic Garden, and this had the support of The Illawarra Mercury. At the time, Kern Corporation was redeveloping the shopping mall, which included David Jones, and they were responsible for the fountain's relocation.
The fountain was recommissioned in the Botanic Garden, and, amid much fanfare, it was turned on and lit on 14 June 1986. I happened to be there at the time, covering the big event for ABC Illawarra. After two years out of action, Woodward's spectacular creation was back flowing again in a whole new setting.
In the nearly 40 years that have followed, the fountain has had a chequered history. In fact, for most of that time it has stood idle. The Illawarra Flame has been given several explanations why our special fountain has remained bone dry for decades. One suggestion is that it was turned off during a drought and simply never turned back on, another is that it was proving too costly to run and it was switched off to save money.
Is this the final nail in the coffin?
Fast forward to 2025, and with the recent release of a draft 10-year masterplan for the Botanic Garden, currently out for public comment, Council appears ready to put the final nail in the coffin of the Mercury Five Islands Fountain.
In a statement a Council spokesperson said: "Following consultation with the late Mr Woodward's family, and with the Friends of the Botanic Garden, it is recommended that the sculptural fountain remain as an in-situ artwork installation supported with interpretation. Subject to community feedback on the draft masterplan and project priorities, the interpretive works are identified as an action in the next one-to-two years."
The Council statement said the masterplan does not support the recommissioning of the water element of the fountain within the 10-year priorities. "It was briefly recommissioned in 2008-09 to coincide with the Mercury's 150th anniversary before being decommissioned due to mechanical issues. The fountain's high water and energy consumption when in operation, and lack of a water management system, does not align with Wollongong Botanic Garden's environmental sustainability principles, or Council's broader sustainability objectives."
A sign might tell the fountain's story
The Friends of the Botanic Garden are in the process of finalising their submission on the masterplan. That is expected to happen this week. Council's deadline for submissions is 20 August.
The Flame understands one option being given serious consideration is to use money (about $6,000), which was gifted to the Friends by the Illawarra Mercury many years ago, to help pay for a sign telling the history of the fountain. Until now that money has been held in trust for its intended use, to help pay for the recommissioning of the fountain.
Some Friends find the prospect of the fountain never working again hard to take, saying the placement of a sign nearby, with historic images of the fountain flowing and looking its best, is far from ideal. These Friends have been told they should not be speaking to the media without Council permission.
Get it working, even if for an hour a day
"It's like rubbing it in our face," said Jane Crowe, speaking not as a Friend of the Garden but as a concerned individual. "If they could make it work again that would be great. Even if it was just operating for one hour a day."
Barry Baird, another long-time volunteer at the Garden, believes the original decision to locate the fountain in the Garden may not have been ideal. Now it appears to be a case of "out of site, out of mind". He also spoke to the Flame as a passionate supporter of the Garden and not as a Friend.
Felix Bronneberg said some years ago engineering students from the nearby university came up with what appeared to be a sustainable solution to resolve the issues preventing the fountain from operating again. He doesn't know what Council did with that piece of work.
Another volunteer, Carolyn Brady, speaking on her own behalf, would like to see everything done to have the Mercury Five Islands Fountain restored. "I'm afraid Council appears to have just put it in the too hard basket," she said.