After almost 20 years, Gunnedah's Rainbow Serpent will be brought to life.
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Plans for the Indigenous water feature started in 2003 and on Thursday, Gunnedah Shire Council announced that Australian company Waterforms International will take on the work.
The rainbow serpent will be constructed at the front of the Civic Centre and will feature 32 mosaic tiles created by Kamilaroi women.
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Mayor Jamie Chaffey said the $274,258 project would be "large and impressive" and "create a meeting place within our cultural precinct where traditional stories can be shared and celebrated".
Waterforms International has worked on projects worldwide, including the Australian War Memorial water feature in Hyde Park Corner, London, the Sydney Airport Centre water sculpture, and the Suntec City Rotating Water Screen in Singapore.
The project was awarded $155,725 through the $100 million NSW Government Regional Cultural Fund in December 2018, adding to the council's 54 per cent contribution to the total. In 2016, the council approved funding of $25,000 for design and construction plans and in late 2018, allocated $150,000 to the project.
The original design of the rainbow serpent was developed by Glen Innes artists Max Powell and Bronwyn McKean from drawings completed by Aboriginal leader Ellen Draper.
About ten women worked on the mosaic tiles, cutting and placing fragments of different coloured tiles to create images of fish and animals, and hands, using the palms of June Cox's grandchildren.
The council went to tender for the project earlier this year but received no tenders so councillors authorised staff to seek quotes and engage a suitably qualified contractor.
The water feature will be completed by the end of the 2019-20 financial year.
