The St Kilda Fore Shore Committee was established in 1906 and oversaw the on-going reclamation works on the St Kilda foreshore and the commissioning of the gardens which would be named in honour of Public Works Department engineer, Carlo Catani, in 1927. Catani was also an inaugural member of the Fore Shore Committee. In addition to the lawns and gardens, landscape cultural beauties, and other means of adornment (1) were added. One of these adornments was this fountain, which has vanished.
The fountain was on the site of the English Pierrots pavilion and it was unveiled in September, 1929 (2).
St Kilda's new ornamental fountain
The Herald September 6, 1929 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244006597
The fountain in the Catani gardens.
Image: Cooper, John Butler The History of St Kilda from its first settlement to a city and after 1840 - 1930, v. 2
(St Kilda City Council, 1931), between pages 210 & 211.
The fountain, surrounded by palm trees.
The Fountain and Gardens, St Kilda. Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co.
Image dated c. 1925-1954
State Library of Victoria Image H32492/7274
It was an elaborate fountain, with some delightful features, which was surrounded by a circular pond built of stone work, which in turn was surrounded by a circular garden bed. The statuary consisted of five pedestals – the central tallest one was surmounted by a light and decorated with four kookaburras. On the other four pedestals stood a statue of a boy, described as a Peter Pan figure, each holding a bowl. At the base of the statue, between each outer pedestal, was a frog (3). You can see these details in the photo below.
The fountain, showing the kookaburras and the frogs.
Detail of the Fountain and Gardens, St Kilda. Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co.
Image dated c. 1925-1954
State Library of Victoria Image H32492/7274
Another view of the fountain, which is partially hidden by the light pole in the centre, but it gives a good indication of where it was located in the gardens.
View in Gardens, St Kilda. Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co.
Image dated c. 1925-1954, I would estimate late 1940s.
State Library of Victoria Image H32492/6580
The fountain is at the centre top of the gardens.
St Kilda. Victorian Railways photographer. Image dated c. 1945 - c. 1954.
State Library of Victoria Image H91.50/841.
This photograph has been cropped, see original here http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/450624
Should you have any information about this item's history or location, please leave a comment below or see 'Contact us' tab for anonymous emailing.
Should you actually possess the item and wish to return it its rightful owners or custodians, please contact us.
Footnotes
(1) Cooper, John Butler The History of St Kilda from its first settlement to a city and after 1840 - 1930, v. 2 (St Kilda City Council, 1931), p. 209.
(2) The new fountain was reported on in The Herald, September 6, 1929, see here; The Herald, May 15, 1929, see here;
(3) Prahran Telegraph, October 4, 1929, see here.
