The historic Dolphin Fountain in Launceston’s City Park will undergo a restoration project in coming months.
Designed by Alexander “Greek” Thomson, a prominent Scottish architect, the fountain was ordered by then Launceston Mayor Henry Dowling in 1857, and installed in City Park in 1861.
Originally situated near where the John Hart Conservatory stands today, the fountain was relocated to the sensory garden in 1979.
This week the City of Launceston has overseen the removal of one of the fountain’s six decorative urns to enable it to be assessed by experts in Sydney.
The assessment will evaluate methods of removing the various layers of paint from the fountain without damaging the structure beneath.
Launceston Acting Mayor Danny Gibson said the restoration would be carried out in stages, with the initial work involving cleaning and painting of the fountain.
“The Dolphin Fountain is a unique historical sculpture, which has undergone repairs of various types throughout its life,” Cr Gibson said.
“It has also been painted numerous times over the 160 years that it has been in City Park, which means we don’t have a good idea of what the structure beneath those layers is like.
“Having a part of the structure analysed by experts in Sydney will allow us to develop a considered and evidence-based approach to stripping and painting the fountain.
“At the end of this process we’ll have a much clearer picture of the current structural state of the fountain and which works need to be prioritised so that it can continue to be enjoyed by Launceston families and visitors for generations to come.”
City of Launceston Public Space Project Officer Geoff Farquhar-Still said the Dolphin Fountain was one of only two remaining terracotta fountains in the world designed by Alexander Thomson.
“There are other terracotta fountains in Europe but one from this particular architect is incredibly rare,” Mr Farquhar-Still said.
“At the time the fountain was installed, Launceston was one of the first cities in Australia to receive municipal water and there was great pride in that fact.
“Upon completion of that scheme, the fountain in Princes Square was ordered to celebrate, and the Dolphin Fountain arrived not long after.”
The Dolphin Fountain is arranged in four levels. The top level originally featured a Nile Lily upon a bowl supported by three cranes.
The middle bowl is supported by three dolphins, while lions feature on the layer below.
Over the decades, various decorative elements of the fountain have succumbed to the ravages of time; the Nile Lily is missing, the dolphin tails have broken away, and the centre bowl has been replaced with a fibreglass copy.
Cr Gibson said the Council would investigate options for replacing the damaged and missing parts.
“The work we are undertaking now will give us a better idea of the feasibility of marrying new parts to this historic sculpture, and what work may be possible in the future,” Cr Gibson said.
“We look forward to the results of the analysis of the sculpture and hope to see work on repainting the fountain underway later this year.”
