Southgate Fountain, Snowden Gardens

The Southgate Fountain was located in the Snowden Gardens on the south west side of the Princes Bridge. It was removed around 1976 for the construction of the Arts Centre Concert Hall, Hamer Hall and has not been seen since. This is a history of the fountain.

Postcard of the Southgate Fountain

Creator: John Engelander & Co. 

In May 1958, the City Development Association offered to build a four-pool fountain in the Snowden Gardens, with a cost of £20,000. The Age reported that The offer, said C.D.A. Secretary (Mr R.A. Gardner) was "to initiate a programme of fountain building in the hope that others will follow." In response Cr Brens, Chairman of the City Council Parks and Gardens Committee was reported as saying Whether Snowden Gardens is the right place for it or not, I am not sure. This area is used extensively by lunchtime crowds in fine weather. The fountain might be incorporated as part of the Wirth's Park development scheme (1). The National Gallery of Victoria is located in the Wirth's Park site (2).  

The June 13, 1958 edition of The Age reported that the some of the Councillors had inspected the proposed site for what was now noted to be only a three pool fountain, and that they would discuss the matter at the forthcoming Parks and Gardens Committee meeting. -

City councillors yesterday inspected the site of the proposed three-pool fountain in the Snowden Gardens, at the southern end of Princes Bridge.

City Development Association has offered to build the fountain, which would have 60-foot high jets of water, lit by coloured lights at night.....Cr W.  Brens said later that the fountain would not interfere with people who used the area for recreation at lunch time. He believed the design would be most suitable. 

The report continued - Under the C.D.A. plans a 10-foot wide plaza would be built level with the path leading to the pool, 60 feet in diameter. Two smaller overlapping pools would extend 120 feet towards the intersection of  Alkman Street and Riverside Avenue. (3)

In spite of the fountain being next to the Yarra River the water used would be mains water as as use of Yarra River water would involve extensive tunelling, and the salt content would rust the fountain equipment (4).  The Council  investigated the cost of running and maintaining the fountain which they estimated at £16 per week or £860 per annum (5). They finally accepted the offer in November 1958. 

In January 1959, the City Development Association invited the public to suggest names for the new fountain and hoped to call tenders soon for the fountain (6). In August 1959, it was reported that the fountain would be known as the Southgate Fountain. (7)

Another postcard of the Southgate Fountain, Princes Bridge and the Yarra River.

Creator: Murfett Pty Ltd.

The fountain was designed by Robin Boyd (8), even though interestingly his name was not listed in the few reports I could find of the fountain in The Age from 1958 and 1959. Construction began around mid-1959.

The construction of the Fountain

The Age, August 12, 1959, p. 12 from newspapers.com

The fountain was officially 'turned on' by the Governor of Victoria, Sir Dallas Brooks, on November 1, 1959. The Age  reported that the fountain, which cost £23,000, was given to the City of Melbourne by an anonymous donor, described as a man who has a great love of Melbourne and desires to see its advancement. (9)

The same report had this description of the fountain - 
The water jets are automatically controlled. On a still day, time clock mechanisms cause the water to rise and fall in accordance with a regular, slow rhythm. As the wind rises, the higher jets are cut off until, in a gale, the curtains are reduced to a waterfall. The water falls into three cone-shaped bowls - the largest 60 feet in diameter, one below the other, on the sloping laws of Snowden Gardens. (10)

The official opening of the fountain by the Governor of Victoria, Sir Dallas Brooks, 

on November 1, 1959.

The Age,  November 2, 1959, p. 3. newspapers.com

At the unveiling the hope Melbourne would develop into  a 'City of Fountains' was expressed by the  Chairman of the City Development Association, Mr R.F.G Fogarty.  Sadly, this fountain barely survived 25 years. In 1974, the City of Melbourne presented the Snowden Gardens to the State Government to build the Arts Centre Concert Hall (Hamer Hall). (11)

In December 1975, The Age  reported that the existing fountain in Snowden Gardens would be removed to the other side of the new plateau, beside the concert-hall complex of the centre (12).  The three acre garden 'plateau' was to provide a pedestrian link from the Snowden Gardens to the Arts Centre. This work was expected to commence in March 1976 and this is the likely date that the fountain was dismantled and put into storage, awaiting re-erection on the new site, which never happened. 

Footnotes
(1) The Age, May 26, 1958 p. 5
(2) Wirth's Park - https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00095b.htm
(3) The Age, June 18, 1958, p. 4.

(4) The Age, June 18, 1958, p. 4.

(5) The Age, November 6, 1958, p. 12.

(6) The Age, January 22, 1959, p. 3. 

(7) The Age, August 13, 1959, p.5

(8) Robin Boyd - https://citycollection.melbourne.vic.gov.au/n312-image-showing-construction-of-southgate-fountain-in-snowden-gardens/

(9) The Age, November 2, 1959, p. 3.

(10) Ibid

(11)  The Age, March 14, 1974, p. 14

(12) The Age, December 24, 1975, p. 3.

Sources
I found the following reports on the fountain in The Age on newspapers.com. View them here

Snowden Gardens may lose fountain. The Age, May 26, 1958 p. 5

Crumbling Neptune must go overboard. The Age, June 5, 1958, p. 3
Fountain site seen. The Age, June 18, 1958, p. 4.
Fountain to cost £16 weekly to run. The Age, November 6, 1958, p. 12.
Ornamental fountain for Gardens. The Age, November 18, 1958, p.11.
Name sought for fountain. The Age, January 22, 1959, p. 3. 

Photograph of the framework of the fountain. The Age, August 12, 1959, p. 12
Council names City Fountain. The Age, August 13, 1959, p.5
More gift fountains a possibility, The Age, August 20, 1959, p. 12
Vice-Regal. The Age, November 2, 1959, p. 2.
Froth. The Age, November 2, 1959, p. 2.
Fountain turned on. The Age, November 2, 1959, p. 3.
Land for the People. The Age, March 14, 1974, p. 14
Arts Centre will get Garden link by Richard Goodwin - The Age, December 24, 1975, p. 3.

City of Melbourne City Collection has 12 photographs of the construction of Southgate Fountain https://citycollection.melbourne.vic.gov.au/