The Astrolabe fountain sculpture was created by Welsh blacksmith
and sculptor David Peterson in 1989. He works primarily in metal and
has produced many outstanding sculptures for the communities of
Wales. He used steel from the Port Talbot plant and forged it into a
symbol of Port Talbot’s maritime past. The Port Talbot, Civic Centre
Fountain design is based on an Astrolabe. This was an ancient
astronomical instrument used in the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries, representing the World and its planets. It was an elaborate
inclinometer, historically used by astronomers, navigators and
astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the
positions of the Sun, Moon, planets and stars, determining local time
given local latitude, and vice versa, surveying, triangulation and to
cast horoscopes. It was used in classical antiquity, the Islamic Golden
Age, the European Middle Ages and Renaissance for all those
purposes.
Welsh steel and coal have made the name of Port Talbot
famous all over the world. The model ship symbolizes the port
activities. The orbiting satellites suggest that the borough of Port
Talbot is forward-looking and ready to accept new advanced
developments. Today, Port Talbot’s harbour has the second highest
tidal range of anywhere else in the World. As a result some of the
World’s biggest ships are unloaded in Port Talbot, coming from
South America, South Africa, China and Canada.
I think the sculpture is a relevant symbol of what makes our
town famous and what has led up to it. Being a coastal town with
World Wide connections now and having the harbour developed in
Victorian times for World wide export is represented by the steel
globe and sailing ship. Its position outside the Civic centre and
housed within the water feature make it stand out for visitors to
view and admire. I am proud of this sculpture, and proud of my
town.