Plectrum is a monument to iconic Indigenous country musician Auriel Andrew (1947-2017), an early Tamworth Hall of Fame recipient. Andrew’s 1970 rendition of the hit song Truck Driving Woman featured lyrics questioning stereotypes and hinted cheekily at challenges faced by First Nations women. Plectrum takes inspiration from such sly references, and Andrew’s commitment to entertain at the same time.

Ninety metal ‘plectrums’ (guitar picks) circle the roundabout as a ribbon, forming a sequence that symbolises the city’s country music history. The array of picks slightly rotate as they loop the roundabout. When motorists drive around, their motion seems to make the picks ‘strum’: a subtle optical illusion to remind us of the primacy of music in Tamworth. These large elements will be fabricated from durable and pre-weathered laser-cut steel. Their dusty red appearance echo the chestnut coats of horses, leather saddles, and dying light of sunsets: evoking landscapes of love and lament at the heart of classic country songs.

Each pick is also embedded with a traffic reflector that sparkles as motorists drive by at night, reinforcing Tamworth’s ‘City of Light’ legacy: the first city with electric streetlights. Plectrum is designed as a low-cost yet high-impact solution, using economical 2D elements arranged in a 3D sculptural form. A galvanised steel structure of posts and ring beams support the picks from a gravel mound below, with ‘halo’ lighting provided by efficient LED strips underneath.