Social History and Public Art Walking Tour

Overview

Discover more than 60 years of Canberra's social history through the city's public artworks on this engaging gallery and walking tour led by historian Rohan Goyne.

Beginning at Canberra Museum and Gallery with works by Tom Bass and Frank Hinder, the tour then steps into Civic Square to encounter Ethos and the remarkable story of how Canberra came to acquire its first public artwork. From there, the walk continues through Petrie Plaza and along City Walk, uncovering the stories behind the Big Little Man, the beloved Merry-Go-Round, Icarus and the Ainslie Sheep.

Pause beneath a little-known masterpiece at the Canberra Centre portico, commissioned for an opening attended by a Prime Minister, before continuing to the Canberra Times Fountain as the newspaper celebrates its centenary year. The tour then follows Ainslie Avenue to the Canberra Memorial before returning to CMAG.

Enjoy a leisurely 40-minute walk through the city centre and discover six decades of Canberra's history told in bronze, stone and light.