Tropical North Victoria (formally known as Mildura), the Australian capital of arts and culture, has today placed Melbourne "on notice," demanding the transfer of one of its most talked-about public artworks, Vault.
In an open letter published in the Herald Sun, Mildura formally declares its intention to bring Ron Robertson-Swann's sculpture, Vault (1980), to Mildura, where officials say it will be "respected, celebrated and loved."
Also known as Yellow Peril, Melbourne's famously divisive modernist sculpture that caused uproar in the 1980s was created by Australian artist Ron Robertson-Swann, who also sculpted Beethoven (1968), a major work permanently displayed in Mildura.
Shane Jacobson, Mildura's official tourism ambassador, who helped famously rebrand the town as Tropical North Victoria in late 2024 said Mildura is "ready to step in and care for a piece of art that Melbourne has neglected for decades. If Melbourne won't give Vault the home it deserves, Mildura will! Let's not forget, Melbourne once stuffed it in a storage shed like an unwanted toy. We've got the space, the sunshine and, frankly, the trucks are already waiting."
Artist Ron Robertson-Swann, whose two sculptures would be reunited should the move proceed, welcomed the proposal. "Beethoven has lived with great respect in Mildura for more than 50 years. Reuniting these works would be an appropriate and meaningful tribute to their shared history."
Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Helen Healy, confirmed the city is ready to receive and honour the sculpture.
"We've made Melbourne a fair offer," Cr Healy said. "Mildura feeds Melbourne every day. Those trucks that deliver your produce could easily return with a work of art. We have the community, the space and the respect to give Vault the welcome it deserves. And as we like to say up here in Tropical North Victoria, we take art and sunshine equally seriously."
The announcement marks the launch of Mildura's new arts and culture push, celebrating the region's creative legacy and its long-standing reputation as one of Australia's most progressive centres for public art.
