Behind Britannic Mansions, there was a large shed, which Diana Webber turned into a bronze foundry with New York sculptor, John Gardner. She had studied Art at East Sydney Tech before meeting John Webber. But, her artistic aspirations were stifled when they started having children. While her brothers, Dick and Greg Weight, revelled in the Yellow House experience, Diana was too busy raising children to take “art for art’s sake” seriously. But, when the opportunity finally presented itself, quarter of a century later, she went back to the Tech, intent as ever to be creative. That’s where she met John Gardner, who was teaching bronze foundry at the time. One of her earliest commissions was a rugby league trophy for the Dally M Award. She made surfing trophies for pro contests and her exhibitions were well received within the Sydney art community. Then, she was asked to make a life size bronze statue to commemorate the Surf Lifesaving movement in Australia, a magnificent sculpture that stands beside Bondi Pavilion.

• Diana Webber’s homepage