Rocks on Wheels in Melbourne

Artist Mike Hewson has created a sculptural playground for Melbourne’s Southbank, appealing to all ages and encouraging visitors to interact with the project in any way they see fit. 

Named Rocks on Wheels, the functional and playful artwork is nestled within the city on Wurrundjeri Woi-wurrung land. It is unconventional both as a playground, public artwork and landscape project, and is spread within an already highly landscaped and designed civic space.

Rocks on Wheels on Melbourne’s Southbank. Image credit - Mike Hewson, Artist.

More than 300 tons of raw Victorian bluestone boulders, amounting to roughly two dozen individually, rest on what seem to be flimsy dollys that could roll away at any time, but are actually engineered for extreme loads. These are covered with handles and other tactile surfaces that can be used to interact with the project in a myriad of ways, including climbing.

Hewson, a New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based installation artist, says his project is, “designed as an inclusive playground that challenges play space design norms, exhibits world-class excellence in terms play value, artistic conceptual rigor (sic) and material durability.”

The functional and playful artwork is nestled within the city on Wurrundjeri Woi-wurrung land. Image credit - Mike Hewson, Artist.

There are moments of humour within the playground. A selection of miniature animal and car toys have been dotted about beneath the boulders, and a drinking fountain resembling a pile of building offcuts is fully functional. In other areas, stacked plastic buckets are wedged between boulders. 

Construction odds and ends such as cored rock, terrazzo and bolts are glued together and could be used for climbing grab holds. A slackline runs from boulders to a palm tree, and risky play is encouraged by the design.  

Rocks on Wheels is an unconventional playground, public artwork and landscape project. Image credit - Mike Hewson, Artist.

The ground consists of custom-designed soft-fall which has been made to mimic the detail of Melbourne’s distinctive bluestone paving.   

Rocks on Wheels was commissioned for The City of Melbourne, and huge visitor numbers have already shown its success.

Image credit - Mike Hewson, Artist.