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Produced and published by the School of Historical & Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne
Published July 2008
Published July 2008
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Peter Staughton
Bluestone and concrete fountain
1981
Scots' Church, Collins Street
Georges' Collins Street department store was once the grand dame of Melbourne inner-city retailing.
As the department store approached its centenary year of 1980, it commissioned sculptor Peter Staughton to undertake a commemorative fountain to mark its hundred years of trading. An agreement was reached between the Fountains Trust of Victoria and the trustees of Scots' Church to locate the fountain close to Georges but on church land, between its assembly hall and place of worship.
Staughton's simple yet beautiful design is tucked into a crease between the buildings. The fountain's large shallow dish is set into a corner formed by two bluestone walls, its water gently flowing over the bowl's lip into the pool below. The City of Melbourne paved the area for the installation. Premier Lindsay Thompson unveiled the fountain in 1981. Its plaque reads: 'Presented to the people of Victoria/ by/ Georges Australia Limited/ on the occasion of Georges' centenary 1880-1980'.