Pyrmont Waterfront Park

These three enormous rusted steel spheres have been installed in Waterfront Park, in the inner west suburb of Pyrmont. This area was once used by CSR Limited for a major sugar mill, sugar refinery and associated industries. Over the years, the company diversified operations into rum distillery, building products and eventually mining. This park is located on the site of the former CSR factory which was used for the production and storage of Caneite fibre board, a by-product from the crushing of sugar cane and Hardboard, made from eucalypt and other hardwood chips. These spheres were Digesters used to produce Hardboard. The wood chips were expanded using high pressure steam, releasing the natural lignins in the wood that turned them into fibre that were pressed into boards for use as building material. The spheres were salvaged from the factory before demolition and used as historical interpretive elements in the park.

 

Tied to Tide is the name of this artwork located on the waterfront of Pyrmont Point Park, in the inner west suburb of Pyrmont. It is located along the boardwalk on Sydney Harbour which provides views across Johnstons Bay and towards the city skyline. This installation, which was created by Jennifer Turpin and Michaelie Crawford in 1999, is described as an ‘aquatic instrument’ involving eight identical arms of recycled hardwood beams and red ladders which are ‘played’ by the winds, tides and waves to independently rise, fall, pivot and rotate. 

 

Metamorphosis is the name of this sculpture, installed in 2007, that lines the path at Waterfront Park in the inner west suburb of Pyrmont. Jacksons Landing is the name of the residential and commercial property redevelopment that has taken place on the former site of a major sugar refinery which was operated by the Colonial Refining Company, later CSR Limited. Operations here also included a rum distillery and cooperage which built rum barrels. New developments here sit alongside redeveloped warehouses and heritage buildings. The newer apartments in the background near the water are called Reflections and the older redeveloped building is called Cooperage, with a reminder to its previous use. According to the sculptor, Anton James: The sculpture is based on the simple observation that the transformation taking place at Jacksons Landing reflects our changing perceptions about the landscape. The pieces that make up "Metamorphosis", like the basic elements of the site, remain constant, only their orientation and one's perception of them changes.