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William Ievers Snr Memorial Drinking Fountain, 1915, by Charles Douglas Richardson, courtesy of City of Melbourne.
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William Ievers Snr Memorial Drinking Fountain
Charles Douglas Richardson
Granite, marble and bluestone drinking fountain
1915
Argyle Square, Carlton
Born in England, Charles Douglas Richardson arrived in Australia in 1858. He studied first in Melbourne and then in London. Following his return to Australia, Richardson produced many war memorials, as well as the famous Mercury statue for the former Age building in Collins Street.
Richardson sculpted three memorial fountains dedicated to the Ievers family, who donated them to the community in thanks for its support. William Jnr (1881-95), William Snr (1895-1901) and George Hawkins (1901-21) consecutively represented the Smith Ward over a period of 40 years. George Ievers proposed the fountains in 1913 as part of a beautification scheme coordinated by the Parks & Gardens Committee, of which he was a member. This was the first of the three memorials to be unveiled, which took place in August 1919.
