Port Macquarie’s iconic Hello Koalas sculpture trail has a new stop on the map – can you guess where?
Sovereign Place Town Centre is now home to Frankie Firefighter – created as a tribute to the many fire services which worked tirelessly to save what they could during the devastating 2019/2020 New South Wales bushfires.
Designed by local visual artist Kim Staples and her husband Wayne, a former firefighter, Frankie’s uniform and insignia are generic and intended to represent a number of fire services.
The sculpture has been an immediate hit with the crowds at Sovereign Place and looks right at home in the open air, nature-filled forecourt amongst the cafes and specialty stores.
Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail Project Director Margret Meagher is thrilled Frankie Firefighter has found a new place to call home.
“Since we started the trail we’ve been watching the development of Sovereign Place and hoped one day to have a sculpture here… It’s an exciting time that Frankie Firefighter has now joined the Sovereign Place family and he looks pretty happy about that,” shared Margret Meagher.
Frankie Firefighter is one of 84 Hello Koalas sculptures for locals and visitors to discover across the Hastings. The fun public art project includes the new Big Koala in the Guulabaa Tourism Precinct in the Cowarra State Forest, just a stone’s throw from Sovereign Place and the surrounding Sovereign Hills community.
Lewis Land Group’s Head of Development Michael Long said Frankie Firefighter was the perfect choice for Sovereign Place after our local fire services put their lives on the line to protect the Port Macquarie community during the 2019 bushfires.
“We remain incredibly grateful to these fire services for keeping our community safe,” Mr Long said.
“Frankie Firefighter is a brilliant representation of their courage and a wonderful addition to the Sovereign Place Town Centre experience.”
Come and see Frankie Firefighter for yourself in the Sovereign Place Town Centre forecourt – 15 Chancellors Drive, Port Macquarie.
