Top End giant lizard sculpture project moves forward as artist and government reach agreement

Tennant Creek’s multimillion-dollar gateway lizard project is back on track after a blue between the NT Government and the artist. We reveal how the pair settled their differences.

Tennant Creek’s giant lizards gateway project is back on track after the Northern Territory Government and Stephen Langton settled their dispute over the Tennant Creek project.

A Queensland-based artist, sculpture and musician, Mr Langton was commissioned to build two giant nyinkka lizards but the project stalled last year following a falling out between the artist and the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics.

Then Opposition Leader Michael Gunner announced the gateway statement project during the 2016 election campaign, but the giant lizards appeared to have disappeared without trace when NT News began tracking the project earlier this year.

The sculpture project was underpinned by $2m committed by new the Labor Government in 2017 when Gerry McCarthy was Member for Barkly.

The project centrepiece comprises two spectacular nyinkka metal sculptures located at Tennant’s southern and northern Stuart Hwy approaches.

The two nyinkka – or spiny-tailed goanna – are being fashioned out of forged steel and each are 9m in length.

Stephen Langton and his giant lizard. The project is back on track.

Tennant Creek art co-operative Barkly Arts was awarded the tender to produce the massive sculptures and they commissioned Mr Langton as artist in residence.

Friends of Mr Langton have told of him working in stifling Tennant Creek heat crafting the lizards and of painstaking efforts in conjunction with local Indigenous representatives to ensure the sculptures accurately represent the lizards.

But issues around payment and an injury to the artist threatened to permanently derail the project.

On his Facebook page at the weekend, Mr Langton posted a brief statement as well as an image of his son Oscar and the sculpted head of one of the lizards.

“After a two-year wobbly wait, the epic lizard project is back on track for completion,” Mr Langton wrote.

“Oscar helped me turn the workshop into a usable sculpture zone again. I will be uploading progress pictures of the cloning process (beating stainless steel and weathering steel onto this head dolly/forma/pattern/mold).

“Schedule for completion within the next six months.”

A DITT spokesperson also expressed optimism.

“The Nyinkka sculptures will serve as an iconic and recognisable entry statement to welcome visitors to Tennant Creek,” the spokesman said.

“Nyinkkas are an important totem for the Warumungu people, the custodians of the land on which Tennant Creek has been developed.

“Due to the cultural importance of the nyinkkas, community consultation, including with Traditional Owners, resulted in its selection as the centrepiece of the Entry Statements.

“The original contract for this project was with community organisation Barkly Regional Arts, who sub-contracted to Mr Langton.

“Following award of contract and substantial commencement of works, relationship difficulties in the contract started to emerge.

“While this is regrettable, the final product will be exceedingly robust and of outstanding quality.”

The anatomically accurate sculptures, as originally designed, are anticipated to be installed on site by the first quarter of 2023.

The original $2m budget has blown out to $2.68m, but the Department claims the overall blow-out is just $60,000.

Tennant Creek Mayor Jeffrey McLaughlin

Other upgrades delivered under the gateways project include civil works such as construction of slip lanes, parking bays, pedestrian friendly pathways and other landscape elements.

Tourism Central Australia chief executive Danial Rochford said the visitor entry statements will be a magnificent addition to Tennant’s tourist landscape.

“It’s a great project and it will be a significant boost to the profile of tourism in Tennant Creek and Central Australia,” he said.

Mayor Jeffrey McLaughlin also welcomed news the project will be completed.

“It’s great news for the town and for tourism in the Barkly,” he said.

“The two nyinkkas are 9m long each and they’ll be here when the lizard people come to take us back.

“They’ll be here forever.”

Originally published as Top End giant lizard sculpture project moves forward as artist and government reach agreement