In 1979, the mind of David Archibald sparked and he came up with the idea: a horse sculpture, majestic and grand, right in the heart of Elizabeth Park. David shared his idea with the Scone tourism committee, and they decided to hold a competition to find the right sculpture.
Mare And Foal, Bronze Sculpture by Gabriel Sterk 1982
However, the journey to sculptural glory wasn’t a smooth ride. The prototype created as a fundraising prize was stolen and never seen again. A drought slowed down fundraising efforts. Then Premier Neville Wran rode in on his white horse (figuratively, of course) with a magical grant of $5,000. Gabriel Sterk from Adelaide took it upon himself to start the sculpture before the funds were raised. He said if the funds weren’t ready by April 1981, he would sell off the sculpture overseas.
Eight locals bravely took out a bank loan in November 1981, ensuring the precious sculpture wouldn’t gallop away. The Commonwealth bank also chipped in to help secure the masterpiece. David Archibald and the fearless Cr Herbie Phelps embarked on a pilgrimage to Adelaide, armed with a trusty horse float, to bring the 1.4-tonne masterpiece home.
At the crack of dawn on the day of the grand unveiling, the townsfolk were astounded to find a worn-out fibreglass Appaloosa placed prominently in Elizabeth Park.
The mysterious scene unfolded as three masked individuals, seen lurking around the park in the wee hours, were believed to have spirited the faux horse away from a nearby property north of Scone.
Meanwhile, the genuine Mare and Foal sculpture remained securely nestled at Alan Atwill’s ‘Redbank Stud,’ far away from the audacious escapade.
The Mare and Foal, fixed to a six tonne foundation, was unveiled by the Hon Eric Bedford MP, in Elizabeth Park on March 3, 1982. Margaret Coombes, a local girl hopped on the mare’s back at the grand unveiling, becoming the very first rider of this enchanting creation. And so, the Mare and Foal found their place in Scone, forever etched in the town’s heart, a testament to the power of dreams, community, and a sprinkle of horse dust.
Years passed, and the fundraising spirit endured, reaching its peak at a grand ball held on May 15, 1987, where a staggering $20,000 was raised.
The sculpture cost $65,000. A time capsule is buried in the Park which lists the donors and history of the Scone Mare and Foal.
About Gabriel Sterk
Gabriel Sterk’s passion for bronze blossomed in the artistic atmosphere of Amsterdam’s Royal Academy, where he honed his skills as a sculptor. His deep affinity for horses, springs from his early years and thanks to his intimate understanding of equine anatomy, Sterk crafts compositions that seem effortlessly composed, showcasing his mastery of form and artistry.
Gabriël Sterk was born in the Netherlands in 1942 and won his first prize at the age of sixteen for a portrait painted in Adelaide, Australia. In the face of strong parental opposition, he resolved there and then to return home to the Netherlands and devote his life to art.
Laureate of the Prix de Rome at the age of twenty seven, he achieved immediate recognition as a sculptor, producing over forty pieces for public display.
In 1987 Gabriël Sterk moved to France ; in 1974 the Académie des Beaux Arts de Paris had already awarded him the prize for portraiture to which now were added to the Grand Prix Rodin, Japan, First Prize at the Biennale Internationale de Sculpture Animalière at Rambouillet (1992), and First Prize at the Salon d’Automne de Saumur, « Art et Métiers du Cheval » (1993). He continues to exhibit and complete commissions throughout Europe and abroad. He lives in France in the Aix-en-Provence. www.gabrielsterk.org
Reference source www.scone.com.au, Elizabeth Flaherty