The tight-knit public art community of Watsonia has been left angered by the removal of what they described as an iconic piece that spoke to so many people on so many levels. As first reported by The Watsonia Bugle in August, a witches hat mysteriously appeared on the roof of the public toilet block on Watsonia Road, sparking many different theories around the method of placement, and the motivations behind it. 

For a moment there, it almost seemed like the witches hat craze had spread to Greensborough, but we have since discovered that this was either a lucky coincidence or a pathetic copycat attempt. This week we were contacted by Colin Keith asking if we knew anything about the removal of the witches hat, since we were responsible for bringing the installation to public attention. 

Keith said he was a founding member of Watsonians For Public Art (WFPART), a small group of public artists installing unique pieces in public spaces around our local area. While he refused to name names, due to fear of prosecution, he said he knew the guy who flipped the witches hat onto the public toilet block and was “devastated” when he saw it had been removed. 

According to Keith, “that piece was iconic man, it spoke on so many levels, it really deserved to stay up there for future generations to admire”. While we assured him that we knew nothing about the hat’s removal, we did promise to bring it to public attention. So, can you help WFPART and shed some light on the removal of arguably Watsonia’s most iconic public art installation?

Advertisement