Archibald Fountain

Located on the northern end of Hyde Park this fountain is really, really cool. As soon as I set eyes on it I literally fell in love with it, namely because of the statues of the Greek demi-​gods that covered it. Apparently it was given to Australia by the French to say thankyou for their help in World War I (which seems to be a regular theme of Hyde Park). From what I can remember the gods that they have are Heracles, Diana, and Theseus (though Theseus is actually a hero, but I’m being a bit technical here). Okay, it isn’t one of those places where you need to spend ages wandering around, but it is certainly worth checking out if you happen to be in Hyde Park.

I like this fountain, even if I struggle to take it seriously. Not in a giggly-look-they’re-naked way, more in a this-might-not-be-out-of-place-in-Rome-but-doesn’t-quite-fit-in-with-Sydney way. It’s very pretty, but does look like it should be in a more ancient city, steeped in centuries of history, rather than the new and shiny city that Sydney predominantly is! And what’s with the tortoises spitting at them?! In my years of doing classical studies at school, I never once had a story that involved tortoises and minotaurs! Or maybe they were there, and just didn’t warrant a mention.
Either way, it adds a bit of character to the park and presents another photo opportunity for wandering tourists. Plus, it was a present from the deceased JF Archibald, so you can’t really turn down a present, especially from a dead guy!

Built at a time when naked men wrestling minotaurs could be viewed without subtext, the Archibald Fountain is one of those casual meeting places in Sydney that everyone uses. It’s a landmark easy for anyone to find, right in the middle of Hyde Park.
With lots of benches nearby, it’s a great spot to peoplewatch as tourists snap away happily, kids runs around on the grass and officeworkers soak up the opportunity for a bit of extra personal space.
The fountain itself has quite the story, donated by JF Archibald, founder of The Bulletin, who stipulated in his will in 1932 for a bronze memorial to be built by a French artist to commemorate ‘Australia and France having fought side by side for the liberties of the world’. So in a way, it is Australia’s Statue of Liberty. But with Minotaurs. And turtles.
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