Landmark Ocean Siren to get new lease on life

An iconic Townsville landmark is undergoing a processl of renewal to ensure its longevity in the beloved North Queensland ocean.

Ocean Siren installation. Discover art installations by sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. The Ocean Siren is a 4m-high illuminated sculpture modelled on Takoda Johnson, a young indigenous girl from the Wulgurukaba tribe. She is holding a traditional indigenous communication device, a Bayliss shell and it is acting as a siren or warning signal that warm seas could be a risk to the Great Barrier Reef Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA), Townsville, Queensland Image Supplied

An iconic Townsville landmark is undergoing a process of renewal to ensure its longevity in the beloved North Queensland ocean.

The Museum of Underwater Art has commenced its upgrade of the Ocean Siren, located just beyond the jetty at The Strand, meaning the sculpture will be absent from its position for 12 weeks.

The 4 metre-high illuminated sculpture created by Jason deCaires Taylor was inspired by a young Indigenous girl Takoda Johnson from the Wulgurukaba tribe and acts as a warning signal about the warming seas’ threat to the Great Barrier Reef.

It depicts Takoda holding a Bayliss shell which is a traditional Indigenous communication device, while looking out towards Magnetic Island and the Great Barrier Reef and at night sculpture’s colour changes based on daily water temperature using AIMS weather station.

Chair of the MOUA board Paul Victory said they were excited for the renewal project which would improve the Ocean Siren’s outer acrylic skin and the internal lighting system.

Museum of Underwater Art chair Paul Victory and Deputy chair Dr Adam Smith have announced that eight new sculptures will be installed near John Brewer Reef. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“The sculpture has become a landmark and we want to ensure all of Townsville appreciate her on The Strand,” he said.

“We are very thankful to the key contractors completing the work, the community members who made donations to the project and our principal grant from the Queensland Government Attorney General’s Department.”

It’s said that the Ocean Siren was made using stainless steel and translucent acrylic, and features a matrix of LED lights that gradually change colour resembling a heating-sensing camera image.

The renewal project is forecasted to be a $100,000 investment and is being completed with support from Townsville City Council.

Originally published as Landmark Ocean Siren to get new lease on life