Namechecked by Cold Chisel’s Don Walker, the geographic heart of “The Cross”, a central gathering and meeting point for generations of Sydneysiders and, importantly, a magnificent work of public art in its own right, the iconic El Alamein Fountain is a much-loved and instantly recognisable Sydney landmark.

And while the likes of Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge rightly hog the Sydney landmark limelight, it’s the smaller, more tangible sites such as the El Alamein Fountain that connect on a more personal level with locals.

Designed by mid-century Australian architects Robert Woodward and Phil Taranto and unveiled in 1961, it stands as a memorial to the Australian Imperial Force’s 9th Division, commemorating the World War II Battles of El Alamein, a key strategic town in northern Egypt, in July and November 1942, which helped turn the course of the war.

Though installed as a sombre remembrance of those significant events, in many ways the subsequent years have layered a more personal and connected history to the Macleay St site.

With its eye-catching dandelion-shaped design and sparkling waters, the fountain and its accompanying Fitzroy Gardens have become undeniable symbols of “The Cross”, standing as the backdrop upon which the vivid tableau of the area has played out.

From the raucous heyday of the ‘60s, to the wild days of US soldiers on R’n’R from the Vietnam War in the ‘70s and through to the colourful times of the booming nightclub era, the fountain has borne witness to a array of scenes and moments. If the fountain could talk, it sure could tell some interesting stories.

Regarded as a nexus between Potts Point and “The Cross”, locals still regularly divide Macleay St as “north of the fountain” or “south of the fountain”, with the accompanying sense that the deep history of the area is just below the surface, the imprints of the past never really that far away.

Long-time local resident Don Walker, Cold Chisel’s legendary keyboard player and songwriter, has regularly namechecked local locations in his songs, from classics such as the immortal ‘Breakfast at Sweethearts’, ‘Letter to Alan’, and ‘Plaza’, all making reference to Kings Cross settings. With his post-Chisel outfit, Catfish, he also of course recorded the song ‘El Alamein Blues’, a rich account of Potts Point life, in all its ragged glory.

The fountain can also be glimpsed in numerous films and TV shows, including the Heath Ledger/Rose Byrne favourite ‘Two Hands’ and, of course, the groundbreaking ‘Underbelly’ series, further embedding its iconic status.

But it’s on another, more tactile, level that the site arguably holds its real significance. Certainly, in the pre-digital era of no Google Maps and mobile phones, it was a regular easy meeting point – “I’ll meet you at the fountain” being a regular refrain.

And even now, with easy digital connections and a vast array of maps and check-in options, it still stands as that central meeting point; easily located, impossible to miss, known to all. The El Alamein Fountain – meet you there at lunchtime, perhaps?

El Alamein Fountain info

https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/fountains-and-water-features/el-alamein-fountain

By Adam Gibson 

Photo by Simone McAullay