I Belong

Public sculpture in Queens’ Park, Healesville.

Funded by the Yarra Ranges Council.

To belong is to be part of something or to be in the proper place.

Birds belong to nests. Trees belong to a forest. Children belong to a park.

Belonging is a nice place to be.

My sculpture ‘I Belong’ is about creating a sense of belonging. It consists of a cluster of 12 bird nest sculptures, held high up in the air on poles but very much connected to the ground. Nests relate to sanctuaries, hideaways and shelters. They are the place where an animal incubates new life and the place where their vulnerable young are kept safe. They are created by animals, often painstakingly crafted, and each one is as different as the species that built it.  

Nests are both aesthetically beautiful and practical. They fill me with inspiration and give me a sense of hope for the future. I can think of no better forms, than those of nests, to fit within the landscape of a playground/park which has been designed for our children to grow, learn and play. In a way we are incubating our little people in a place of play, social interaction, creativity, nature and beauty to prepare them for the wider world.

The cluster of 12 nests represent some of the most familiar birds in Queens Park. These species include the willy-wag-tail, magpie, mud-lark, bronze-wing pigeon, crow, noisy miner, rainbow lorikeet, blue wren, galah, yellow-tailed black cockatoo, ibis and most importantly the wedge-tailed eagle or Bunjil and it is also known. 

To complete this project, I worked with many contactors including Blue Gum steel works in Healesville, Daniel Bloomfield, Rocks Plus, the best excavator driver, rock drillers and YR council overseer Gabby.