Not without Chomley sculpture at Gasworks Art Park

The City of Port Phillip issued this report on their Facebook page on November 27, 2023 -
Someone has stolen part of the bronze sculpture ‘Not Without Chomley’, by artist Anne Ross from the grounds at Gasworks Arts Park. The sculpture is part of the City of Port Phillip Collection, purchased as a gift to the people of South Melbourne in 1991. We are asking for any information on the whereabouts of the single standing dog, in the hope that it is returned.  The contact details for the City of Port Phillip can be found here 

The complete 'Not without Chomley' sculpture

Image: City of Port Phillip Facebook page

'Not without Chomley' sculpture, November 2023

Image: City of Port Phillip Facebook page

The Gasworks Arts Park was established on the site of the old South Melbourne (later the Metropolitan) Gas Company works. During May and June 1991 the GAS Outdoor sculpture exhibition was held at the park and 'Not without Chomley' was one of the sculptures created for this exhibition. 

A report in The Age in May 1991 noted the risk of potential vandalism -  showing sculpture in a public place has its difficulties - the artists have been rostered on site 24 house a day not to offer guided tours but to protect the works from vandals. The City of South Melbourne purchased 'Not without Chomley' in July 1991 and it was the first permanent installation in the Sculpture Park. 

Sadly a few months later Anne Ross' sculpture fell victim to vandals. The original sculpture was of cement fondu, which was all the artist could afford at the time; this was a fragile material and it was smashed with a sledge hammer. The City of South Melbourne had it recast in bronze and it has been on display and enjoyed by many for the past thirty years.

'Not without Chomley' is  now incomplete as the little dog has been stolen. If you have any information contact the City of Port Phillip, details here.

Sources

• City of Port Phillip Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cityofportphillip
• Grogan, Robert Gasworks to Gasworks: from an industrial complex to an Arts Park - https://www.gasworks.org.au/about-us/history
• Lancashire, Rebecca Sculptors out in the open -  The Age 22 May, 1991, p. 13
• https://www.gasworks.org.au/visit-us/public-sculptures/not-without-chomley

Cast metal hitching post, South Melbourne

This cast metal horse hitching post, outside 295 Clarendon Street in South Melbourne, went 

missing in the 1980s. 

Since this was first posted an update has been provided by the Port Phillip Library Local History Librarian. In 1983, the restoration of the Emerald Hill Estate was undertaken  for the occasion of the 100th anniversary of South Melbourne becoming a City in September 1883. The verandas on the Emerald Hill Estate site were painted in brown and cream stripes, the fences were renewed and 

painted and they decided to put a whole lot of hitching posts around various places on the hill. 

By that time 1983, the only original post was the one in front of 295 Clarendon Street which was originally the Bank of Victoria.  This one was taken away and used as the cast for all the other 

ones that are now in the streets. Unfortunately the original was lost (probably mixed up with the copies). 

Hitching post in Clarendon Street, February 12, 1971.

Photographer: John T. Collins.

 J.T. Collins Collection, La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria, Image  H98.251/835:

These hitching posts were once a common part of the streetscape, but as horse transport was replaced by motor cars, there was no longer any use for them, so they may have been gradually removed, or in some cases just disappeared. Even 70 years ago these posts were rare as Emerald Hill Record reported in July 1954 - 

The rare hitching post outside 295 Clarendon Street

Emerald Hill Record July 24, 1954 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164507426

The now vanished hitching post outside 295 Clarendon Street, 1970/1974.

Photographer: Committee for Urban Action.

State Library of Victoria Image CUASM199/3-4 Image 5