Conserving a love of beauty

Crafted from the finest marble quarried at Carrara, Tuscany, 12 statues depicting Greek and Roman deities, known as the Stoddart Collection, reside in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens. Having recently undergone significant conservation works, Hercules, the most famous of the 12, continues to inspire generations of Ballarat residents.

When Thomas Stoddart presented 12 white marble statues as a gift to the public gardens of Ballarat in 1884, it was his hope that the statues would cultivate in the community an appreciation for beauty and art.

More than 100 years later, the same vision that inspired Stoddart now underpins the work of City of Ballarat Public Art Officer Dr Anindita Banerjee.

“Public art has the capacity to inspire the community, and to embed creativity into the fabric of our city,” Anindita says. 

“The Stoddart Collection is an incredibly important collection of public art for the city, but it is also very well loved by the community.” 

The centrepiece of the Stoddart Collection is a statue depicting Hercules, famous in classical mythology for his strength and far-ranging adventures.

Sitting on his marble plinth underneath a giant English oak tree, Hercules looks as strong as ever, raising his mighty club and wearing a lion skin as a trophy.

However, in early 2022 Hercules was close to crumbling. The statue had cracks in various places and could not hold its own weight.

“We were at risk of losing him forever,” Anindita says.

Without budget allocated for the delicate, expert conservation works required, Anindita and her team weren’t sure where they were going to find the funding.

Thankfully, Ballarat community member and supporter of the arts, Richard Thege, made a generous donation, which funded the works performed by expert statue conservationist Katie Smith and her Abbotsford-based team. The funds will also be used to repair other statues in the collection.

The donation was facilitated by the Ballarat Botanical Gardens Foundation. This foundation provides means for the community to contribute to the long-term enrichment of the gardens.

Richard Thege says the Stoddart Collection is an important part of the city’s history that must be preserved.

"When I was told that the Stoddart Collection needed repair and Hercules was in a warehouse in Melbourne unable to be repaired due to a lack of money, I was happy to help,” he says. 

"The privilege of being able to fund the repair of the collection allows me to give back to a community that has given me so much.”

Hercules was re-installed, restored and renewed, to his plinth at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens in August.

"We are very grateful to Richard Thege for funding Hercules’ restoration, the Ballarat Botanical Gardens Foundation for facilitating the donation, and to Katie Smith and her team for their meticulous, expert work restoring the statue to its former glory,” Anindita says.

"Hercules, along with the other 11 statues from the Stoddart Collection, will continue to inspire Ballarat residents and tourists alike for generations to come.”

To transport Hercules to and from Abbotsford for his restoration works, a cushioned, wooden box had to be built around him. A crane then transferred him from his plinth to the trailer, for his journey.

Watch the video showing the installation of Hercules back into the Ballarat Botanical Gardens after his restoration works.