El Alamein Fountain

Infobox Australian Place | type = locality
name = El Alamein Fountain
city = Sydney
state = nsw

| caption = El Alamein Fountain
lga =City of Sydney
dist1 = 2
dir1 = east
location1= Sydney CBD

The El Alamein Fountain is a fountain and war memorial in the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the Kings Cross area, at the entrance to the Fitzroy Gardens on the corner of Darlingurst Road and Macleay Street. [http://www.withincooee.com/new-south-wales/sydney/kings-cross/ Within Cooee: Sydney] . Accessed July 2008] The El Alamein Fountain was commissioned as a memorial to soldiers who died in 1942 during the Second World War in two battles at El Alamein, Egypt, [http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/aboutsydney/CityLocalities/KingsCrossandSurrounds.asp City of Sydney official website] . Accessed July 2008] and was designed by the New Zealand-born architect Bob Woodward."The Architecture of East Australia" by Bill MacMahon. Axel Menges, 2001. ISBN 3930698900. [http://books.google.com/books?id=FUItnsGv-doC&pg=PA65&lpg=PA65&dq=El+Alamein+Fountain&source=web&ots=VhTTIoVRon&sig=EIzX5Q7RxBzq1KIiBJPVQAxxZ2U&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result Google Books copy] accessed July 2008] Neville Crocker Australia Pty Ltd [http://www.ncawaterfeatures.com.au/images/TDS_9,10_&_11_Series_Sphere_Fountains.pdf NCA Technical Data Sheet Sphere Fountain] (PDF). Accessed July 2008]

War memorial

The Australian 9th Division fought in both battles of El Alamein during the Second World War. Both were important for the course of the war; the first battle, fought in July 1942, halted the advance of Axis forces into Egypt and the second, fought in October and November 1942, routed them, and is considered a turning point in the Western Desert Campaign. [http://traveldk.com/sydney/kings-cross-darlinghurst/dk/el-alamein-fountain DK publishers: dktravel] . Accessed July 2008] The El Alamein fountain commemorates the Australian army's roles in the North Africa campaign in general, and the two El Alamein battles in particular. [http://www.sydney-landmarks.com/potts_point.shtml Sydney Landmarks and Districts] . Accessed July 2008] [http://www.cntraveller.co.uk/guides/Australia/Sydney/Default.aspx?Page=5 Condé Nast Traveller: Sydney Guide] . Accessed July 2008]

The designer

New ZealanderFact|date=August 2008 Robert (Bob) Woodward was commissioned to build the fountain in 1959.The Twentieth Century Heritage Society of NSW: Heritage Walks. [http://www.twentieth.org.au/assets_activities/eliz_potts_walk.pdf Elizabeth Bay and Potts Point (brochure)] (PDF) Accessed July 2008] Woodward, himself an Army veteran,Robert Woodward interview, March 22, 1972. [http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2148409 National Library of Australia Catalogue] . Accessed July 2008] was 36 at the time and had studied architecture at Sydney University, and in Finland. The structure was completed in 1961 and officially opened by Harry Jensen, Lord Mayor of Sydney. [http://nla.gov.au/nla.cs-pa-HTTP%253A%252F%252FLIBAPP.SL.NSW.GOV.AU%252FCGI-BIN%252FSPYDUS%252FENQ%252FPM%252FFULL1%253F87753%252CI National Library of Australia: Picture Australia] . Accessed July 2008] The fountain made such a name for Woodward that he went on to design many others, and his fountains are his best-known works."Architecture Australia", January/February 1999. [http://www.archmedia.com.au/aa/aaissue.php?issueid=199901&article=4&typeon=1 Headlines] . Accessed July 2008] "The Courier Mail": [http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21445708-5003423,00.html Vow to save QPAC fountain.] By Amanda Horswill, March 26, 2007 12:00am. Accessed July, 2008.] [http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/whatson/modernism_symposium.asp Powerhouse Museum: modernist exhibit August 2008] . Accessed July 2008] [http://www.sydneydesign.com.au/sd08/?p=47 Sydney Design '08] . Accessed July 2008]

The design

Woodward's Modernist design"Modern Times: Untold Story Of Modernism In Australia". [http://www.huliq.com/64829/modern-times-untold-story-modernism-australia Huliq News] . Accessed July 2008] has been variously described as looking like a blown thistle [http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/australia/sydney/sights/1000144129?list=true Lonely Planet: Sydney, Australia] . Accessed July 2008] , or dandelion. The sculpture is made of stainless steel with bronze pipes. The small-nozzled spray heads make the sphere-shaped spray very fine, and sensitive to air movement. The fountain sits on a hexagonal base, where the water cascades down several levels. It is illuminated at night.

Cultural impact

The fountain won Woodward the New South Wales Institute of Architects Civic Design Award in 1964. Over the years, its iconic shape has made it a well-known landmark that has been imitated by other builders.

As the focal point of the Kings Cross area, the fountain often serves as a meeting place.

ee also

*Australian 9th Division
*El Alamein
*Kings Cross
*Fountain
*Modernism

References

External links