John Dowie
Story of the Three Rivers Fountain
compiled from research by Lisa Conolly
Figure 1: Three Rivers Fountain, by John Dowie. Installed 1968
This sculpture now stands at the southern end of Victoria Square / Tarntanyangga in the centre of Adelaide. It was originally positioned at the northern end when it was installed in 1968. A good description of the history of this fountain is provided on the SA History Hub.
Figure 2: Postcard image of the fountain, Vintage postcard, undated.
While much of Dowie’s work was figurative, the Three Rivers Fountain (1968) incorporated abstract elements and distortions. The inclusion of an Aboriginal man to represent the Murray River provides a recognition of the connection of Aboriginal people to country. Each figure in the sculpture is somewhat off kilter, each gripping a bird, showing a tension between humans and the natural world. We now know that we urgently need to clean up and better manage our three rivers, yet the flow of water through the fountain offers an optimism for the future of our city.
FIgure 3: Murray Man, Drawing by Lisa Conolly, 2025
For my drawing of the Aboriginal figure, Murray Man, I used pastel and pencil, and I also scribed lines to represent a profile of the Murray River running down the left side and water holes along the top of the drawing. The bird is an Ibis.
The idea for a central Adelaide fountain is attributed to Alderman James Irwin, an architect who had been inspired by his own investigation into modern fountain designs. I had a good look over the many Adelaide City Council archives relating to the development of the fountain and Victoria Square. Despite opposition to the project, it was clear to me that the Town Clerk William Veale and Alderman Irwin supported Dowie’s artistic integrity throughout the process of Council decision making. The Town Clerk accepted Dowie’s early sketchy approach to design when Dowie said he would be “mooching around the city and having a bit of a dream about it” (22/10/1963 meeting minutes). During a later meeting of the fountain sub-committee (21/12/1966 meeting minutes), when concerns were raised about the form of the Aboriginal figure, Alderman Irwin stated that “You can’t tell the artist what to do as far as I’m concerned”. It is this recognition of artistic integrity, even when it defies tradition, that has helped shape a modern city.
Figure 4. Bust of John Dowie, by Hans Henson, 1960, Cast in 2004
John Dowie was a prominent sculptor through his lifetime. He died in March 2008, aged 93. he was much celebrated during his lifetime, including a series of gala dinners held each decade since 1998 by the Victorian Fountain Club, in honour of this popular work. Another dinner is due to be held in 2028, which will then be 60 years since the fountain was installed.
References
John Dowie, A Life in the Round, Edited by Tracey Lock-Weir, 2001
Adelaide City Council Archives, Minutes of meetings with John Dowie, 1963 and 1968
Figures
Figure 1. Three Rivers Fountain, by John Dowie. Installed 1968. Photo by Lisa Conolly taken in 2026
Figure 2. Figure 2: Postcard image of the fountain, Vintage postcard, undated. Photo scan of original postcard owned by Lisa Conolly.
Figure 3: Murray Man, Drawing by Lisa Conolly, 2025, Pencil, pastel and scribed lifework on 360 gsm paper
Figure 4: Bust of John Dowie, by Hans Heysen, 1960, Cast in 2004. Image from National Portrait Gallery, https://www.portrait.gov.au/portraits/2004.171/hans-heysen