On September 23rd, 2018, the city of Randwick unveiled a bronze sculpture of renowned English cellist Jacqueline du Pré at Kensington Park. The Music & Opera Singers Trust commissioned the statue, and the artist Drago Marin Cherina created it. Jaqueline du Pré (1945-1987) was one of the world’s greatest cellists of all time; she performed at the most prestigious venues and brought excitement to the world of classical music. Her statue in Australia was one of the first statues in the continent to honor a female musician. Standing in front of the Kingsford Community Centre, the statue has inspired visitors and honored du Pré’s legacy. Jaqueline du Pré became passionate about playing cello when she was four. She studied at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music in London and continued learning with the best cellists in Europe, including Pablo Casals (Switzerland), Mstislav Rostropovich (Russia), and Paul Tortelier (France). In 1961, at 16, she made her formal cellist début at Wigmore Hall in London, impressing Britain’s music critics. Du Pré recorded and performed worldwide, captivating audiences, receiving international recognition, and becoming one of the most beloved cellists in the world. In 1967, at 22, she married Israeli pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim, and the two became known as the golden couple of the music industry. In 1971, du Pré started losing sensitivity in her fingers, accompanied by fatigue and depression. Two years later, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Her last studio recording was in 1971, and she stopped performing live in 1973. Her passion for music never declined, and she continued to teach music as long as her health permitted it. At the age of 42, she passed away. Read more...

On January 5th, 2023, Australian legendary women’s cricketer Belinda Clark made history again when her statue was unveiled at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and became the first statue of a woman cricketer worldwide. The SCG decided in 2021 that after 73 statues of male cricketers in Australia, the time has come to honor a female player. The SCG selected Belinda Clark from a list of talented players, and the artist Cathy Weiszmann won the commission to create it. Weiszmann sculpted the statue based on a photo she and Clark chose; it stands near two of Australia’s finest men’s captains: Richie Benaud and Steve Waugh. Belinda Clark was born in 1970 in Newcastle, New South Wales, and grew up playing cricket and tennis. She started playing cricket more seriously in high school and made her international cricket debut in January 1991, playing against New Zealand. Two years later, and for 12 years, Clark became the captain of the Australian Women’s team, winning two ICC Women’s World Cups trophies (1997, 2005), 15 Test matches, and scoring 919 runs at an average of 45.95. Clark became the first person to score an ODI double century in 1997, blasting 229 runs off 155 balls against Denmark. She has held the record for the most ODI runs scored by an Australian woman – 4,844 runs in 118 ODIs at an average of 47.49. In 2000, Clark became the CEO of Women’s Cricket Australia (WCA), playing a significant role in the merger with the Australian Cricket Board to combine the administration of the men’s and women’s games. After her retirement in 2005, Clark held several roles in the Australian Cricket Board and also served as the manager of the Australian Cricket Academy (till 2017). Since 2002, the Belinda Clark Award recognizes Australia’s best women’s international cricketer. In 2014, Clark was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame. Read more...

The Pioneer Women’s Memorial in Sydney is a 3.5-meter bronze statue of a woman carrying a baby on her left arm and pulling an old child with her right hand. It honors the early settlers women in Australia and their contribution to colonialism in Australia. The Women’s Pioneer Society of Australasia commissioned this statue as part of Australia’s bicentenary celebrations. They chose the Australian sculptor Alex Kolozsy to design and create it. The dedication ceremony was held on 19 November 1988 with Lady Faye Rowland, the spouse of the Governor of New South Wales at the time. The plaque at the base of the statue reads: This statue was commissioned by the Women’s Pioneer Society of Australasia in recognition of the courage and endurance of our Women Pioneers and their vital role in the development of this country. The project was jointly funded by: The New South Wales Bicentennial Council The National Mutual Life Association of Australasia Limited The Women’s Pioneer Society of Australasia to commemorate the Bicentenary of Australia. Unveiled on 19.11.1988 by Lady Rowland. Sculptor Kolozsy. The statue stands at the Jessie Street Gardens, a small urban park named after the Australian women and Indigenous equal rights activist Jessie Street (1889-1970). Street helped found the United Associations of Women, co-chaired the first union equal pay committee, and was the first Australian women delegate to the UN. About three kilometers from this statue is the Jessie Street National Women’s Library, which preserves, collects, and promotes Herstories of Australian women from all fields of life. If you are interested in experiencing more sites related to pioneer women in downtown Sydney, follow this self-guided tour. Read more...