This striking 10-metre-high sculpture is made up of four albatross on a stainless steel frame. Visitors can walk under and around it, appreciating the artwork against the water’s edge and Auckland’s skyline. Originally located on Quay Street in Auckland Central, artist Greer Twiss is delighted with the new location on Victoria Wharf, being close to nature (the sea) and industry (the Auckland cityscape).

Twiss explores the relationship between land, sea and air with *Flight Support for Albatross*, particularly the protection of the marine environment and birdlife. Four injured birds are supported in a flight frame, with wings extended and facing out to sea. The albatross are being trained to fly again, a metaphor for the support these endangered birds need.

Throughout Twiss’ distinguished career and the large portfolio of work he has produced, there is always a sense of his process by manipulating the materials he works with. *Flight Support for Albatross* is no exception, showing an underbelly with rough welds and scored surfaces. The artwork combines elements of storytelling and concern for conservation issues, themes that often characterise Twiss’ sculptural curiosities.

Flight Support for Albatross

Looking westwards over Devonport's marine square is the First World War Memorial, the bronze figure of a soldier with rifle slung, boot laces undone and hat in hand, taking his last look before leaving the battlefield.

The Devonport First World War Memorial was one of many memorials built following the First World War. The memorial was erected to commemorate Devonport locals killed in WWI, with plaques added later to memorialise the names of those killed in later wars and engagements, including WWII and the Korean War.

Although many memorials were commissioned after WWI, not many were by local artists. A public competition for the design was won by Australian-born, New Zealand sculptor Frank Lynch in March 1922.  A veteran of Gallipoli, Lynch sought to give the statue a life-like character and is one of only a handful of memorials in New Zealand offering such a personal and human-scale glimpse of soldierly life.

The Memorial is affectionately known as the 'Untidy Soldier' and befits the original inscription – "Remembering those dead, let the living be humble."

First World War Memorial

These handmade tiles depict the history of ferry transport across the Waitematā Harbour from Devonport to Auckland. Made by renowned New Zealand potter, Barry Brickell, the tiles depict one hundred years of ferries on the Waitematā Harbour, and were inspired by W. W. Stewart's book *Steam on the Waitematā*. The tiles are made of terracotta clay, in modelled relief, and fired in a wood-fired kiln at Brickell's Driving Creek Pottery in the Coromandel.

Brickell spent his childhood in Devonport and recalls the part the harbour ferries played in the local identity of the village – as they still do today.

In 1979, the Devonport Library Associates commissioned the tiles for an extension to the library, which was not built until much later in 1989. They graced the foyer of the original Devonport Library and were carefully removed, restored and reinstalled in the new building in 2014.

The Harbour Ferries

When unfurled to its 22-metre length, the full sweep of this artwork's colour saturated ribbon-like form is revealed. It cascades and loops, bringing brilliant vibrancy to the environment of Te Pātaka Kōrero o Te Hau Kapu, Devonport Library, while challenging spatial perception. The artwork is created with artist, Judy Millar's innovative combination of painting and printing processes.

Inspired by the power of libraries to transport us into worlds of knowledge and imagination, the artist sees this as an invitation for the eye to embark on a fantastic journey through rich colour and abstract space.

Raised on the North Shore and with deep ties to Devonport, Millar is represented in significant public collections throughout New Zealand as well as internationally. She is known for creating two-dimensional works that share the spaces we inhabit, rather than sitting on walls that surround us.

Greer Twiss

Flight Support for Albatross

"Four majestic albatross take flight from Victoria Wharf, highlighting conservation issues and our responsibility to care for the marine environment and birdlife."

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Related links

The Big Idea story

NZ Herald story

OurAuckland story

Greer Twiss - Cultural Icons

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