Mary breaks the mould with spoonfuls of bronze

It took ten, 10kg bronze ingots, four days of welding and two months to finish her, but Mary Poppins’ transformation from clay to bronze is complete.

The statue of the magical nanny made famous by the Disney film from 1964, will be installed in Maryborough as street art.

The 1.5m, 100kg statue will stand on the footpath outside the birthplace of her creator — childrens’ author Pamela Travers at the intersection of Richmond and Kent streets.

Mary was commissioned by the Maryborough City Council in honour of Travers who spent at least her first two years in the city.

There is historical debate whether Travers spent two or three years in the city.

University of Queensland sculptor Dr Rhyl Hinwood spent months creating Mary’s statue in her Kenmore Hills studio, using UQ Arts student and family friend Imogen Marnane as a model.

Dr Hinwood said once the model for Mary’s statue was done, rubber and fibreglass moulds were made and from this a wax impression was cast.

A ceramic mould of the wax was then made before the molten bronze was poured and cast at the Perides Art Foundry at Brendale, Brisbane.

Mary’s eight pieces including her carpet bag and magical parrothead-handled umbrella, were then welded together.

Maryborough City Councillor Margaret Wroe said the statue cost about $60,000 with most money donated from residents, the city’s Mary Poppins group, The Proud Mary’s Association, as well as the city council and State Government.

“I think it’s beautiful and we’ll all be very proud of it when it’s finally there,” Cr Wroe said.

Mary is now in storage in Maryborough after being freighted in a pine crate from Brisbane.

She will be unveiled in early August, to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of PL Travers on August 9.

Dr Hinwood and the Marnane family will be at the unveiling.

Media: contact Dr Hinwood (phone: 07 3378 3808, email: rhylhinwood@bigpond.com) or Miguel Holland at UQ Communications (phone: 07 3365 2619, email: m.holland@uq.edu.au)
Photos: contact Diana Lilley at UQ Images (phone: 07 3365 2753, email: d.lilley@uq.edu.au)