User:Isabellarichardson/sandbox

Peter Nicol Russel Memorial at the University of Sydney

Context

The monument is located in the PNR Building courtyard at the university of Sydney. It is a copy of the PNR’s St Marylebone cemetery memorial in London (Sydney Architecture). The text on the base of the memorial provides some context as to why it is in the courtyard. It says:

“Presented to The University of Sydney by Dame Charlotte Russel. In Memory of her late husband Sir Peter Nicol Russell. A munificent benefactor who endowed the Peter Nicol Russell school of Engineering”.

Peter Nicol Russel was born in Scotland and moved to Australia in the 1830s. He established ‘The Sydney Foundry and Engineering Works’ and after his father died he continued on the business under P. N. Russel and Company. After he retired in 1860 and retained his interest in Australia giving money to Sydney University to found an engineering school. He died in 1905 left money towards the Engineering Association of Australia (Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1976).

Purpose

The purpose of the memorial was to commemorate Peter Nicol Russel who donated money towards the school of engineering and he also more money for scholarships.

Author

Edgar Bertram Mackennal was the architect and his signature can be seen in the attached photograph (B. Mack). I believe the author speaks effectively to the audience in that he communicates across the significance of Russell’s donation through the grand memorial.

Audience

The fact that the memorial stands in the courtyard of the building that he helped fund and create indicates that the audience was intended to be those who attended the engineering school at Sydney University. It is a commemoration towards Peter Nicol Russell.

The text

The monument is made of granite and bronze. The style if Edwardian (Sydney Architecture) and makes quite an impressive statement. The statue is very accessible as it is in the main courtyard. The pictures are attached below show the grand style of the memorial.