By Helena Adeloju
Local schoolchildren from six primary and secondary schools celebrated the arrival of the Mr Yakkerboo artwork in Pakenham’s Main Street on Thursday 20 April.
The fictional character has become part of local folklore since he was born in the imagination of locals in 1976.
The official presentation was held at Pakenham Hall to mark the completion and public launch of the council-funded artwork, which is part of Cardinia Council’s Public Artwork Program 2016-’17.
Each school took turns to meeting Mr Yakkerboo, with students walking from Pakenham Hall to the sculpture’s location on Main Street.
Artist Julie Squires created the bronze and steel sculpture with the help of local primary and secondary children who designed each of Mr Yakkerboo’s scales.
The public sculpture, entitled Mr Yakkerboo meets Blue, links Pakenham’s very own mythical creature who leads the annual Yakkerboo festival, with Pakenham’s pastoral history which is symbolised by ‘Blue’ the blue heeler.
