Il Porcellino (The little pig) statue, which is located outside the Sydney Hospital, is a copy of a Pietro Tacca's wild boar statue in a 17th century fountain in Marketo Nuovo, Florence. The statue by Tacca was believed to be a copy of an ancient Greek marble boar sculpture. In 1962 five copies of Tacca's sculpture were cast by the Florence foundry, Fonderia Ferdinando Marinelli. One of the copies was donated to the Sydney Hospital by Marchessa Clarissa Torrigiani in memory of her father and brother. Both had been renown surgeons at the hospital. Marchessa saved as hard as she could for seven years to purchase Il Porcellino. The Little Pig is a much loved icon to the residents and visitors of Sydney and you can often see people giving it's snout a good rub for good luck. The other copies of Il Porcellino can be found in Califorinia, Florence, Canada (University of Waterloo) and British Colombia (Butchart Gardens, Victoria).
This info and more at; http://www.publicartaroundtheworld.com/Il_Porcellino.html