Wender·Vista
The Southern Star
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileAustralia
above Melbourne's Docklands, on the Yarra

The Southern Star

— a giant wheel against the southern sky.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“The Southern Star rose 120 metres above Docklands on the north bank of the Yarra, the southern hemisphere's only giant observation wheel. From the cabins the city laid out east to the Dandenongs, Port Phillip Bay south, the You Yangs west. The wheel turned its last revolution in 2021 and was taken down, but the silhouette held a generation of Melbourne skylines. — from the studio

from the studio
The Southern Star
— bring it home

The Southern Star, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about The Southern Star

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The Southern Star Observation Wheel stood in Melbourne's Docklands precinct on the north bank of the Yarra River, opened on 20 December 2008 as the southern hemisphere's only giant observation wheel. The structure reached 120 metres at the top of the rim and carried twenty-one enclosed air-conditioned cabins on the outer edge. Designed by Sanoyas Hishino Meisho and engineered with Arup, the wheel sat beside the Harbour Town shopping precinct. It was later renamed the Melbourne Star and operated until September 2021. Dismantling began in 2023.

— the year

The wheel opened on 20 December 2008. Within six weeks a record summer heatwave warped the structural steel and operations stopped; the wheel was completely rebuilt, reinforced for higher heat tolerance, and reopened in December 2013 under the Melbourne Star name. It ran continuously through to September 2021, when the operator placed it into hibernation amid the pandemic. The structure was confirmed for permanent closure and dismantling began in 2023. The Docklands silhouette without the wheel was complete by 2024.

— the visit

A full rotation took about thirty minutes; the cabins held up to twenty passengers and the loading platform sat at ground level off Waterfront Way. On a clear day the view ran east to the Dandenong Ranges, south across Port Phillip Bay toward the Mornington Peninsula, west to the You Yangs, and north over the Melbourne CBD skyline. Day and evening tickets were sold, with sunset slots favoured by photographers. The Docklands tram and Southern Cross rail station were a short walk south. Tickets typically ran around AUD 36 for adults.

— where
Australia · Docklands, City of Melbourne, Victoria
— position
-37.8159° S · 144.9374° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
at the lake
Harbour Town Melbourne
shopping precinct
1 km SE
Southern Cross Station
rail station
at the lake
Yarra River
river
2 km E
Melbourne CBD
city centre
N
The Southern Star
Harbour Town Melbourne
Southern Cross Station
Yarra River
Melbourne CBD
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about The Southern Star — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

On the north bank of the Yarra River in Melbourne's Docklands precinct, beside the Harbour Town shopping centre. The site sat in the City of Melbourne, about two kilometres west of the central business district.

The structure stood 120 metres at the top of the rim, one of a small group of giant observation wheels worldwide. It carried twenty-one enclosed cabins on its outer rim and a full rotation took about thirty minutes.

It opened on 20 December 2008 as the Southern Star. After structural repairs it reopened in December 2013 as the Melbourne Star. Operations ended in September 2021 and dismantling began in 2023.

The operator placed the wheel into hibernation during the pandemic and later confirmed it would not reopen. The decision was tied to passenger numbers and the cost of recurring structural maintenance the heat-stressed frame required.

On clear days the cabins gave views east to the Dandenong Ranges, south to Port Phillip Bay and the Mornington Peninsula, west to the You Yangs, and north across the Melbourne CBD skyline.

The wheel was designed by Sanoyas Hishino Meisho of Japan, with structural engineering by Arup. After the 2009 heat damage, the frame was redesigned and rebuilt before the 2013 reopening.

— about the piece in your home

It carries well for that. The wheel held the Docklands skyline for a decade and a half and is now part of the city's recent memory. A Small or Medium with a studio note travels well to family overseas.

The cool blues, steel greys, and night-sky tones suit Modern, Industrial-modern, and Coastal-modern rooms. The geometric line of the wheel also reads well in a Mid-century space.

A single Large covers a standard three-seat sofa. A four-tile Mural opens the scene at wider scale; a nine-tile Mural carries a full stairwell or a tall hallway.

Yes. The Dura Satin or Matte finish handles humidity and splash, and the colour is infused into the surface so it does not fade with cleaning. Both finishes are scratch-resistant.

Soft microfibre cloth and water. No abrasive pads, no solvents. The thin glossy finish protects the surface and a quick wipe is enough.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is painted in Reid Wender's studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. We are a single studio and do not license artwork from outside artists.

— if this one stayed with you

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