You'll Come a Waltzing...
Winton lies 1,356km north-west of Brisbane, surrounded by Matilda country. According to the Australian Traveller it is the dinosaur capital of Australia. Palaeontologist from around the world flock to the harsh and unforgiving outback to discover dinosaur bones. Winton is the birth place of the famous Australian bush ballad, Waltzing Matilda. Banjo Paterson wrote the lyrics to the legendary song nearby at Dagworth Station in 1895. It was first performed at Winton’s North Gregory Hotel the same year.
The original Waltzing Matilda Centre was opened in Winton in 1998. It boasted the tag line, “Home of Australia’s national song”.
In 2015 a fire, caused by an electrical fault, destroyed the original Centre. A $22 million rebuild was quickly funded by State and Federal Governments.
Designed by Cox Architecture, the new centre reflects the surrounding Matilda country. The robust and expressive architecture captures the personality of the landscape and the people that inhabit it. It has been hailed as the Opera House of the outback.
Dotdash designed a Wayfinding system that complements the architecture and draws inspiration from the jump rock formations, anthills, prehistoric craters and the rich colours that make up the sunburnt country.
The weathered steel that forms the structure of the free standing signs and typeface of the building identification draws from the stark, rugged and broken landscapes that surrounds Winton. Wool bale stencils found at a nearby sheep stations inspired the use of the Brix Slab typeface. This unassuming yet robust slab serif reflects the town’s stalwartly identity.
