Love Locks: Melbourne Australia

Since the 2000s, it has become common for couples to write their initials on a padlock and lock it to a public bridge as a symbol of their everlasting love.

 

Locks were once seen on “Ha’Penny Bridge” in Dublin Ireland, the “Pont des Arts” in Paris, as well as Melbourne, Australia’s “Southgate Footbridge,” pictured here. The Southgate Footbridge passes over the Yarra River and joins Melbourne’s Southbank area to Melbourne’s Central Business District.

 

In 2016, the weight of the lovelocks on the public bridge became a safety hazard and the locks had to be removed. Instead of disposing of them, the metal from the locks was melted down and salvaged by six local artists who made art pieces as a tribute to the love represented by the locks. The locks can now be seen as part of a giant necklace, a 250-lbs. harmonic bell and 100 heart-shaped locks. People continue to place their lovelocks on the Southgate Footbridge, although they are now removed monthly.

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