An 'oarsome' restoration job

A PIECE of Lake Wendouree history has been restored to its former glory with a little help from some talented and generous locals.

The Olympic commemorative mosaic had long been attached to the front of the Wendouree-Ballarat Rowing Club but had fallen into disrepair, and suffered a final indignity of falling off the wall, with more damage to its special design.

It commemorates the 1956 Olympic rowing competition staged on Lake Wendouree, and it was created by artist Arthur Pickford who was well known for his mosaics, for being a successful farmer, local councillor and community leader.

Keen to resurrect the mosaic that features two oars and the Olympic rings, the rowing club commissioned Ballarat mosaic artist Camilla Watson to repair and restore the work.

Olympic mosaic returned: Mosaic artist Camilla Watson with the work originally created by Arthur Pickford, now back on the Wendouree Ballarat Rowing Club Shed wall following its restoration. Photos: EVIE LAMB

Local firm Findlay Engineering also chipped in, donating time and materials to fabricate a solid stainless steel frame for the work and anchor it securely back to the front of the rowing shed wall.

Watson said restoring the mosaic had been an inspirational project completed over several months, and had prompted her to do plenty of research uncovering other mosaic works Pickford had completed in Ballarat and surrounds.

“The mosaic panel fell off the rowing shed about five years ago and we’ve just put it back up now,” said Watson.

“It took a while for the club to work out what to do with it. It was quite damaged.”

Watson said that in restoring the mosaic to its former glory, carefully honouring Pickford’s original, she used ceramics, glass and periwinkle shells.

The now fully restored mosaic that commemorates the 1956 Olympics rowing competition being staged on Lake Wendouree.

“There were quite a few periwinkels which I found on the beach at Queenscliff where Arthur Pickford holidayed and got the originals,” she said.

“He became known as The Shell Man because he had a house off Lake Wendouree and built a large mosaic crown in his front yard using a lot of shells and other materials to commemorate when the Queen came to visit Australia.”

Unfortunately the crown no longer exists, but the fully restored Olympic commemorative mosaic was recently unveiled by the rowing club and members said since it’s been back it hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“A lot of people have stopped and admired it,” club member and coach Colin Purves said.

“A Japanese tourist was here taking photos of it the other day.”