The Giant’s Footprint came about after a chance meeting this summer and quickly became a real community affair. David has been keen to get a sculpture project going for his café gallery garden in the same vein as the Broken Hill project created back in the 90’s by a group of international artists. His photographs from that time are world class and the event made a lasting impression on him, so that now, as this opportunity falls into his lap, he really wants to make this happen.

I am spending time here with family and doing a lot of exploring so I only have a limited amount of time to give but I am happy to work on a large piece of sandstone David has found on a close by farm. He calls me on Sunday the 17th to come over and go check out the stone and as we drive up the valley I wonder how this will work out.

Seeing the rock helped me to get an understanding of what we are looking at here and we decided where it would be best sited and what orientation would work best. Next it was down to David and his team to get the stone in place and he only had one day to do this as I was due to travel up country on Wednesday.

Monday I get a call telling me that ‘the eagle has landed’ and I reply with a see you bright and early. I’m staying with my sister that evening and working out some plans for the following days carving but am not feeling it.

Tuesday has arrived and as we approach the gallery my sister tells me of the local folklore tale of the giant who, in ancient time's, when the lands were mostly under water, leapt across the peaks just behind the gallery. As the stone was from these foothills it seems right to reference this in some way.

When I see the stone standing in position it has a natural line running north south so all my plans go out the window and I’m left with the beginnings of one full on day. I have to approach this one with a natural instinct and look into the stone for a solution.

The following images tell the tale of the days events and as the sun sets we light a fire and drink a well earned beer, to welcome the ‘Giants Footprint’ to the Hunter Valley.

Thanks must go to all those who made this project happen, David and Lorraine for their hospitality and inspiration, Barry and Paul McLean for giving up the stone. Allan Marsh and Robert Wilton for transporting and setting it in place ready to be carved, and lastly to Rachel for putting me onto the folklore.

If you are ever in the area and want a great coffee or have something artistic to offer, drop by and say hello and see where it takes you, live in the moment and anything is possible.

“It has been a real community spirit coming together in creating something symbolic to the area, this is just the beginning of the sculpture park and we are off to a flying start” said Mr Mahony

David Mahony Art Gallery
10601 Merriwa Road
Sandy Hollow
NSM 2333

2021 Update: Sadly we lost David last year and he will be missed my many, a great artist and inspirational motivator who made great things happen. David, rest is peace my friend.