Port Jackson shark maquette for 1999 New Year's Eve celebrations

This maquette is a 1:8 scale model of one of the 18 Chinese lanterns that floated along Sydney Harbour during the 1999 Harbour of Light Parade held to celebrate the Millennium. Seven to 15 metres in height, the lanterns were towed on barges and lit by hundreds of bulbs powered by on-board generators.

The pageant of giant sea creatures was inspired by Sydney's coastal sea life, and based on local theatre designer Peter England's original drawings. The models and full scale lanterns were made by master lantern maker Wu Guang Ju of Ling Nan in China for the City of Sydney Council.