Meet Greg Johns, the Murraylands’ world-renowned sculptor

South Australian Greg Johns is considered one of the nation’s greatest living sculptors.

In more than half a century of sculpting, Johns has won the prestigious McLelland Museum Sculpture Prize (2012) and had major public commissions here, interstate and overseas.

One of his first commissions, in 1978, was the iconic wave-like sculpture, Rhythm, at Glenelg Beach.

He has created a distinctly Australian form of sculpture, and his steep 400-acre property at Palmer is a collaborator in his work, being home to 45 of Johns’ wonderful pieces. 

Johns first became interested in abstract sculpture in 1975, while studying at the North Adelaide School of Art.

From the get-go, he wanted to create outdoor sculptures.

“I thought that it actually allowed a much bigger audience than people just visiting a gallery,” he says.

“I wanted to make large outdoor, public sculpture(s) that the public were involved with.

“I found that it had a dramatic, exciting side … and it would sort of enliven a community and excite a community.”

Communities certainly do interact with Johns’ sculpture, made from Corten steel, wood and stone – and not just human communities.

When Murraylands Life visited Johns’ property, the Palmer Sculpture Landscape, a hawk had perched itself on a striking bird-like sculpture.

“It was sitting on it?” Johns asks, clearly chuffed.

“Well, there you are.

“It’s found its god, its mother.

“That piece, called Hovering figure, was influenced by the wonderful wedge-tailed eagles you get here fairly regularly.

“Hopefully the sculptures engage with the place, and the place engages with the sculpture.”

Indeed, Johns is thrilled that he’s helped to restore his property, where he initiated a sculpture and environmental landscape in 2001.

Since the early ‘90s, Johns has consciously created an Australian identity in sculpture – something that hadn’t been done before – and the often dry and beautifully surreal landscape at Palmer has also shaped his practice.

“Palmer has certainly had a significant influence on my work, all the broken rock forms around here – you know, very old Australian landscape,” he says.

“Around here, too, quite a few of the stone formations, when you get to know them, one looks like a seated figure, and as you came up the hill, you would have seen a seated figure there: that one’s called Sitdown fella, so that’s influenced very much by a rock formation here.”

Apart from enhancing his property with sculptures, Johns has improved the natural look of the former sheep farm though his commitment to saving the environment. 

“We’ve done about 23 years of environmental restoration, so behind you now, you’ll see a whole lot of she-oaks,” he says.

“This area through here was once a she-oak woodland when we moved in, and very quickly, the she-oak woodland was removed, I think in about five years, because the she-oaks yield a lot of energy, both for the copper and gold mines and home fires but also the paddle steamers down the road.

“So while it is dry country, which I like, this valley was virtually totally barren when I bought  it.

“It was a sheep farm, but the people before did an over-graze with it.

“I should say straight away, I’m not anti-farming at all, and my sister was a farmer, but clearing everything off the property is not proper management.

“For our children and everything, you need proper farming practices combined with environmentally restored areas like this, and you probably need some renewables.”

Continue reading in the autumn 2025 edition of Murraylands Life magazine.

Where to get your copy of Murraylands Life magazine

The winter 2025 edition of Murraylands Life magazine will be available at more than 110 newsagents, supermarkets, hotels, service stations, accommodation providers and other outlets around the region from this Friday, June 13.

Click here to find out where you can pick up your free copy at Callington, Coonalpyn, Karoonda, Lameroo, Mannum, Monarto, Murray Bridge, Mypolonga, Pinnaroo, Tailem Bend or Wellington.

Copies may take a few extra days to reach some locations.

If you can’t find a copy at your local pick-up point, let us know by emailing murraylandslife@gmail.com – we’ll circle back to top up supplies as required.

Alternatively, subscribe to Murraylands Life magazine at murraybridgenews.square.site and we’ll post our next four editions direct to you for the cost of postage and handling.

Advertising space is now available in the spring edition, due for publication in September.

• More information: Visit www.murraylands.life or email jane@murraybridge.news.