Equus Art Pty Ltd specialises in fine restoration of carousel horses and rocking horses. Based in Melbourne, Australia, the company was established by Patricia Mullins and John Kirkpatrick in 1998. Patricia Mullins is the author of "The Rocking Horse" and is also well known in Australia and internationally as a children's book illustrator.

Equus Art has restored the horses of two major carousels in Australia - the Luna Park Carousel, PTC#30, made by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (USA) in 1913, and the Melbourne Zoo Merry-Go-Round imported into Australia from England in 1886. To see details of the restoration and horses click on the links at left. Patricia Mullins' rocking horse work and picture books are featured at www.patriciamullins.com.au

"The Rocking Horse, a history of moving toy horses ", was researched and written by Patricia Mullins and published in London in 1992. Seven years in the making, this 376 page reference book has become the definitive work on the subject of rocking horses - their history and manufacture worldwide.

The French organ facade, which is a central part of the Luna Park carousel, is currently being restored at the Equus Art studio in Melbourne. The organ and its magnificent Art Nouveau facade were made in 1909 by Limonaire Frères, Paris, one of the most important European manufacturers of mechanical musical instruments in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The 66 key organ and façade are extremely rare, arriving with the PTC carousel at Luna Park, St Kilda in 1923. An illustration of the actual facade is shown at left as it appeared in the company catalogue c1909.

Equus Art, together with Luna Park Melbourne, Friends of Luna Park and Lillico-Thompson Conservation successfully applied in 2006 for a grant under the Australian Government’s heritage programme to protect and conserve the nation’s most historic places. 18 grants were awarded from over 370 applications.

Link to Organ prior to restoration on the PTC 30 site.