Great Petition, Public sculpture in Burston Reserve, Melbourne, Australia
Great Petition is a steel and bluestone sculpture stretching across Burston Reserve that folds repeatedly, dipping underground before resurfacing across pathways within the space. The work integrates with the landscape through its continuous folding pattern that guides visitors through the reserve.
This sculpture was completed in 2008 to honor the Monster Petition from 1891, when thousands of Victorian women signed a document demanding voting rights. The work was created to commemorate this pivotal moment in the fight for equality in Australia.
The sculpture sits near the Victorian Parliament Building and serves as a landmark for visitors interested in women's suffrage history. It draws people who want to understand how women fought for voting rights in Australia.
The sculpture sits in Burston Reserve in central Melbourne between Spring Street and the Parliament Gardens, easily accessible on foot. Visitors can walk through the reserve and encounter the work naturally as they follow the pathways.
The sculpture transforms a historical document stretching 260 meters into a walkable physical form that visitors can actually touch with their hands. This allows people to experience the massive scale of the original petition through their own bodies as they move along the artwork.
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