SATURDAY’S Clearwater sculpture prize,  part of the Queanbeyan River Festival, was somewhat overshadowed by the normally secretive Queanbeyan platypus.

Central to the sculpture walk, this year, featuring 33 entries, was a large tent in which local sculptor Neil Dickinson’s bronze sculpture of a serene platypus was being ‘mosaicked’ by members of the local community under the watchful eye of Sydney sculptor, Freya Jobbins, hired by Queanbeyan City Council to create a blue ‘pond’ surrounding the artwork, now permanently installed on the riverbank near the Bridge.

Out on the stage, the winners of the sculpture prize were announced, Jobbins herself receiving the $5,000 award from judges Phil Spelman, Judith Burfoot and Claire Primrose for a site-specific artwork, “Fluro Flood-Markers,” made of up-cycled plastic dolls’ houses descending into the river an inspired by the history of flooding in the river.

Award-winning local sculptor Janet Long, took out the $1,000 encouragement award for her river-themed work, “Give and Take” made of moving parts.

It was later announced that the $1000 People’s Choice Award had gone to Rachel Develin’s “Enlightened Wasteland – Tumbleweed and Bromelites” closely followed by “The Raptor – Eagle in flight” by Greg McLean.

The order of prizes was reversed for the $500 Children’s Choice Award, where first place went to McLean and second to Develin.

During the opening of the River Festival by Queanbeyan City Mayor Tim Overall, the crowd was introduced by Ngambri elder Matilda House to brother and sister duo Biensy and Ashlee Knight, awarded for naming the new platypus “Malunggang”, while a very large, furry platypus watched over the proceedings approvingly.

As the crowd enjoyed the stalls and the boat-racing, people walking over the Queanbeyan Bridge viewed the yarn-bombing installation created by Lori Mansell and a loyal team of knitters determined spice up the normally calm Riverside location, now fallen silent until this time next year.