Russell Drysdale Easel Sculpture

In 1949, Sir Russell Drysdale—one of Australia's most significant 20th-century artists—visited West Wyalong with his lawyer friend John Nagle, who was working on a case in town. While waiting, Drysdale sketched scenes in the courtroom and spent time drawing the main street from outside the Tattersall's Hotel. Standing beneath the hotel verandah at around half past six one evening, Drysdale was struck by the stillness of the town. With residents having gone home for tea, the street appeared almost completely deserted, broken only by a single light shining from a Greek café further down the road. This quiet moment became the inspiration for his powerful painting West Wyalong. Today, visitors can see a bronze and stainless steel bas-relief sculpture based on Drysdale's 1949 painting, located outside the Tattersall's Hotel on the very corner where he created the original sketch. Commissioned by Bland Shire Council and created by Sydney artists Gillie and Marc, the sculpture was sponsored by the Barrick Cowal Gold Mine and is designed as a bronze artwork displayed on an easel, echoing the original painting.