Uniting a Nation statue still stuck in Sydney — a year after it was scheduled to be installed on the Torrens

There is still no time frame for when a giant statue earmarked to rise out of the Torrens Lake will actually arrive in Adelaide — it’s been nearly a year after it was originally scheduled to be installed.

Artist impression of possible location of sculpture on Torrens Lake.

There is still no time frame for when a giant statue earmarked to rise out of the Torrens Lake will actually arrive in Adelaide — it’s been nearly a year after it was originally scheduled to be installed.

In January last year philanthropist Basil Sellers donated a four-storey high, five-tonne aluminium piece by renowned artist Terrance Plowright to the Art Gallery of South Australia’s permanent collection.

Titled Uniting a Nation, and worth $1 million, it was supposed to be installed in the Torrens in May last year.

The Advertiser revealed in July its arrival was being held up because of the complexity of transporting the sculpture to Adelaide and installing it in the proposed position — 6m from the lake’s edge.

Sculpture Uniting a Nation, by Terrance Plowright

Because Uniting a Nation is so large, transporting it by road — the preferred option — means it needs to avoid bridges, power lines and tunnels.

And nearly a year after it was supposed to be in Adelaide, there is still no date as to when it will arrive in the city.

When asked by The Advertiser an Art Gallery spokeswoman said there had been “no further developments” on the transportation of Uniting a Nation to Adelaide.

“To avoid any risk to the public, council impose a stringent process with regard to objects of this size slated for display in the public realm,” she said.

“This process is lengthy and still being undertaken.”

A council spokeswoman said there were no time frames at this stage for the arrival.

“Currently the project team is working through the complexities of the project to plan confidently for its long-term display in the public realm,” she said.

Mr Sellers and the gallery will pitch in $300,000 toward costs including transport, site investigation and promotion.

Adelaide City Council will chip in up to $225,000, largely to design and build the footings and plinth in the Torrens Lake, and also for site preparations, installation, lighting and launch of the mammoth sculpture.

It also will set aside up to $50,000 for yearly maintenance and insurance.

Uniting A Nation was commissioned after a “handshake” agreement between Mr Sellers and former NSW arts minister George Souris.

But a Sydney Harbour site could not be agreed on.

Negotiations stalled after Barry O’Farrell resigned as NSW premier and his replacement Mike Baird dumped Mr Souris from the front bench.

Three NSW councils then vied for the artwork.

Mr Sellers donated the sculpture to SA as a “gift of gratitude to the Australian public, a country that welcomed him as a young migrant”, Adelaide City Council documents from earlier this year said.

The donation, in the form of a long-term loan of Uniting a Nation to South Australia, could be extended until 2038.