An untold story: How three artistic couples became the 'Sydney 6'

The New South Wales city of Newcastle opened an art gallery in 1957, at the very moment when abstract art was finally finding favour in Australia. Newcastle supported contemporary art and built a comprehensive collection. The city experienced its own 'Sydney Opera House' moment four years later when it controversially awarded a prize to a pioneer of abstract sculpture, Margel Hinder, to create the now much-loved and highly regarded Captain James Cook Memorial Fountain. Archival photos show dusty, bare ground used for parking in front of the Newcastle Town Hall, transformed by Hinder's water sculpture into an oasis of trees and gardens in the heart of the city, adjacent to the Art Gallery.