New public artwork for Montmorency
Published on 16 February 2026
A striking new public artwork is coming to Montmorency, drawing inspiration from the local bushland and community feedback.
Titled Hello Casuarina, the sculpture is inspired by the native Black She-oak (Allocasuarina littoralis), a tree of cultural significance for the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people and strong ties to Montmorency’s bushland character. The artwork will be installed at the Station Road and Were Street intersection by mid-2026.
The design builds on feedback gathered by the Victorian Government during community consultation in 2020–2021 train station redevelopment, where locals expressed a strong desire for natural, earthy materials and artwork that reflects local flora and fauna.
Artists Joanne Mott and Dr John Power bring extensive experience in public art and a deep understanding of Montmorency’s sense of place, with Joanne having previously lived in the area.
“The work celebrates local flora and will become a symbol of the heart of the village”, said Joanne. “It’s earthy tones and organic surface creates a strong dialogue with the surrounding bushland, reinforcing the sense-of-place unique to Montmorency.
We are leading the delivery of the project, which is funded by the Victorian Government’s Level Crossing Removal Project.
Community engagement
Hello Casuarina has been shaped by community feedback gathered from the Victorian Government’s Level Crossing Removal Project in 2020-2021.
During the consultation, local residents said they preferred the following features for the new installation.
- Narrative: celebrates flora and fauna, brings the community together, and reflects indigenous narratives of the Montmorency area.
- Style: fits with the local surroundings, is playful, interactive and vibrant.
- Preferred materials: earthy materials, local materials, and traditional products.
- Preferred design: carved, cast or assembled.
About the artists
The artwork Hello Casuarina is a collaboration between renewed artists Joanne Mott and Dr John Power, who bring more than a decade of experience in creating site-responsive public art.
Dr John Power is a digital artist specialising in interactive and ambient screen-based art. His practice focuses on generative media and digital storytelling.
Joanne Mott is an interdisciplinary artist whose work explores nature, ecology and place through sculpture, installation, collage and new media. She was originally shortlisted in 2021 to develop a concept for Montmorency Station and brings continuity to the project.
Joanne has previously lived in the area, and the character of Montmorency and the wider region continues to influence her practice. Her response to this commission draws directly from the original artist brief, shaped by community consultation from 2021, and builds on her earlier concept for the site.