The pursuit of attribution

‘‘FULL credit to . . . ’’ has long been acknowledged as one of the oftrepeated cliches that infect sporting commentaries and interviews but, however annoying and inane, the phrase does have a more fitting application — in the art world.

Well, that’s according to Wash reader Peter Johnson, of Broad Bay, who contacted us yesterday after reading our story about the relocation of the ‘‘Edinburgh Stone’’ in Dunedin and its sister sculpture in Scotland.

I will let Peter explain:

‘‘Hi Dave. Further to your story today re the Leith ‘sister’ sculpture — and Neville Peat’s photo of the Owheo basalt boulder in Edinburgh.

‘‘It is good that Neville acknowledges the Scottish sculptor, Sylvia Stewart, who is not named on the plaque for the reciprocal ‘Edinburgh Stone’ that has finally been installed to an appropriate site opposite the University of Otago clocktower building.

‘‘The plaque merely names the notaries who first unveiled the ‘stone’.

‘‘It would not be difficult to rectify this, with an additional plaque, respectfully naming the sculptor, and usefully adding that it was is sculpted in 2007 from Aberdeenshire granite.

‘‘Perhaps this could be undertaken by the now reinvigorated Dunedin City Council Art in Public Places group?

‘‘They might be prompted also to install a permanent plaque for the Stone Boat sculpture (1996) by Ruth Myers — the lovely polished basalt column on the St Clair esplanade.

‘‘The original flimsy label has now faded beyond legibility.’’

Well, both suggestions sound very sensible and doable to me, so let’s hope there is action on this.

As an aside, Peter raised a little artistic ‘‘mystery’’ locally which perhaps someone can help solve. He writes:

‘‘While googling ‘Water of Leith’ for its Edinburgh equivalent, I came across pictures of ‘balanced stones’ that someone had created standing up from the shallows of the Scottish stream.

‘‘These are very reminiscent of a ‘balanced stone’ creation that appeared on the shore at Broad Bay in February. My photo of the work (published today) shows it just as it was being nudged by the incoming tide.

‘‘A very temporary ‘work’, it didn’t fully survive the next high tide. It was anonymous as far as I know, but the question arises: did we have a visit from the Scottish creator?’’

Speaking of the stone sister sculptures featured yesterday, a reader, Iain Mitchell, writes: ‘‘Good morning. I hail from Edinburgh. Some of my family were born and bred in Leith and a good many of my friends went to Leith Academy (founded 1560).

‘‘I have never heard anyone from Edinburgh, never mind Leith, refer to the ‘Leith Water’. It has always been, ‘Water of Leith’.’’

Anzac spirit missing?

As you would have seen in yesterday’s ODT, we had comprehensive coverage of the Anzac Day commemorations, but a reader, Mary Smith, has contacted the Wash with her views on something she watched on TV. She writes:

‘‘Hi Dave. Just felt I had to write regarding the Anzac Cove service shown on Maori TV yesterday afternoon.

‘‘It was a very moving service and Amy Adams spoke very well but when Julie Butler (Australia) spoke, not once did she acknowledge New Zealand soldiers as such; she just referred to the Anzacs.

‘‘Anyone not knowing what Anzac meant would think Australian soldiers were the only ones there. Just had to get this off my chest as I was angry our brave men weren’t acknowledged as NZ soldiers fighting alongside the Aussies.’’

Bus service

The revamping of Dunedin’s bus service is still causing a few murmurs of discontent. Here’s an email from Carol Shortt, of Mornington: ‘‘Hi Dave. I live on the Kenmure bus route, and we have new buses on that route now. I’m almost 70, but pretty fit for my age, as I do an awful lot of walking. Not uphill though, which is why I use the bus to go home.

‘‘However, climbing on and off

the new buses is quite a challenge, as they don’t ‘kneel’ as low as the older ones. I wonder if this is something that can be remedied by the bus company?’’

And an ODT colleague, a regular bus user, in agreeing with the above observation, adds this:

‘‘And the other problem is the drivers don’t ever seem to pull into the kerb either, so you have the height of the footpath to help you — it’s a real scramble.

I’ve sent both comments to Go Bus and will let you know if we get a response.

The ‘‘Stone Boat’’ sculpture at St Clair, which a reader believes needs a new name plaque.

PHOTOS: PETER JOHNSON The temporary artwork ‘‘Balanced Rocks’’, as seen at Broad Bay last February. Does anyone know who created this before it was washed away by the incoming tide?