My Dearest by Mark Cuthbertson depicts the children’s game of cup and ball and was inspired by the Creswick mining disaster in 1882 and the letters the men wrote to their families while trapped underground.

The Inverleigh artist is known for his couch sculpture at Meredith.

“They wrote letters back to their families and their children and the miners didn’t survive but the letters did,” Hepburn Shire’s public art panel member Kim Percy said.

“So when Mark the artist was developing the idea he went back to that as part of the inspiration and he was looking for an object that crossed over all walks of life.

“The cup-and-ball was a toy not only the miners children played with but some of the wealthy children and the Chinese miners’ children so it became the symbol of a toy which crossed over all the boundaries.”

My Dearest was chosen from a shortlist of three designs by the public art panel, including councillor Kate Redwood and artist Petrus Spronk.

The $30,000 sculpture was dubbed “the wrecking ball” by some Creswick residents, 20 of whom banded together in March of this year to build an alternative sculpture led by local sculptor Earl Ingelby. 

The hopeful stand-in – a concrete sculpture inspired by ancient Celtic standing stones – was erected in a garden neighbouring Calembeen Park.

Then-councillor Bill McClenaghan said at the time he thought Creswick might become known as “the big cup and ball”.

Hepburn Shire mayor Sebastian Klein said he would be “surprised” if Mr McClenaghan’s concern came true.

“I’d be very surprised if Creswick became known as ‘the cup and ball town’,” the newly elected mayor said.

“There’s also a dive tower on the same site, it’s not ‘dive tower town’, there’s also a lot of remarkable gold era buildings and history of golden timber which I think if the artwork draws people attention, it’ll be those other aspects people remember Creswick for.”

Cr Klein said the artwork had already achieved its purpose before installation by causing the community to think about history.

“I think for the art panel that nominated that site and that artist, the idea was to create something that caused people to examine history and caused people to stop and think and I think almost certainly the artwork has already done it.

“Whether or not people in Creswick will grow to love it in time, only time will tell,” Mr Klein said.

The sculpture was given the tick of approval by Heritage Victoria in October following council’s approval in February this year.

Hepburn Shire Council chief executive Aaron van Egmond said the commission for My Dearest – which has been widely criticised by the community as being irrelevant to Creswick – was aligned with the Calembeen Park Master Plan. 

“The installation of My Dearest is part of a community vision to deliver more public art and to continue to develop Calembeen Park as an historic place for residents and visitors to enjoy,” Mr van Egmond said.

“We are excited to see the artwork in its new home.”