Arts/publicart.html
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Freotopia > arts. See also: artists, photographers, authors, creative writers.
Public Art
An inclusive attempt to list anything like a work of art that is on public view. I'm working on putting images in place.
Memorials
Fremantle War Memorial, Memorial Park, Monument Hill (Obelisk Hill), partly by Pietro Porcelli.
North Fremantle War Memorial, by Pietro Porcelli.
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The John Forrest Centenary memorial on Beach Street Reserve, from 22 August 1947, had a spherical beacon on top of a piece of granite. The beacon was stolen in about 2021. The commemoration was that of the centenary of Forrest's birth. It was originally at the southern end of the wooden Traffic Bridge, but moved in 1964 to Beach Street - unfortunately, as it's turned out.
The second photo, retrieved from Google Maps, gives an indistinct idea of what the memorial looked like with the globe still on it.
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A bronze sculpture by Greg and David James on the facade of the CBC gymnasium on High Street is in memory of Alex McMillan, who liked climbing.
Esplanade
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The 'Explorers Monument' (Maitland Brown memorial) is a shameful and disgusting reminder of the colonial past. It should be removed, I suggest, to the East Perth Cemetery, where the remains of the men memorialised are in fact interred, and where it will be seen by few people. The sculpture (as noted on the memorial) is by Pietro Porcelli. The bust on the top (by Porcelli) was removed in 1990 - probably in protest. It was later replaced with a copy made by Greg James.
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Hector McDonald drinking fountain, erected c. 1907 by public subscription to the memory of "Fighting Mac" who died in 1903 by shooting himself following accusations of paedophilia in Ceylon. He never came to Australia, let alone Fremantle. Why is this thing still here?
Vasco da Gama memorial - near the western toilet.
Kings Square/Walyalup Koort
Tom Edwards drinking fountain memorial: 'working class martyr' - the work of Pietro Porcelli >
< Statue of Pietro Porcelli by Greg James
Hughie Edwards statue: memorial to a war hero and governor by Andrew Kay. (See Hutchison.) >
Town Hall
John Curtin statue, by Charles Smith and Joan Walsh-Smith. (See Hutchison.)
Victoria Quay
C.Y. O‘Connor Memorial. Designer and sculptor: Pietro Porcelli. C.Y. O’Connor was a great civil engineer who did not live to see all his projects completed. He was borne down by the pressure of work and attacks on him by some sections of the press and some politicians, particularly by their assertions that the Goldelds pipeline would fail. Early on the morning of 10 March 1902 he set out on his customary early morning horse ride along the beaches south of the port. He rode past South Beach along the shore, dismounted, waded into the sea and shot himself with a pistol. A metal sculpture [by Tony Jones], an outline of O’Connor’s figure, now stands in the sea where he committed suicide.
Venus and Friends, by Judith Forrest. On the quayside of the parking area between C and B Sheds, this sculpture consists of eight quirky figures of Venus and sea creatures, mounted on metal supports. It was commissioned by Fremantle Ports and unveiled in 2002. (See Hutchison.)
The Passenger Terminal contains four murals, designed and executed by the noted Western Australian artist Howard Taylor. The two in F Berth show birds and flowers of the state; the two in G Berth, trees and animals.
There are two artworks also by Howard Taylor in the Port Authority building. See the page for Howard Taylor for details.
'Southern Crossing' by Tony Jones, with Ben Jones. At the west end of E Shed. Installed in 2002, this work shows a migrant, suitcase in hand, at the foot of a gang plank being greeted by a dingo (Australian native dog). ... this has a lively quality and, being set at ground level, relates immediately to passers-by. The project was supported by MSC and P&O Ports. (See Hutchison for an image.)
Sculpture of two children. Sculptors: Charles Smith and Joan Walsh-Smith. These two bronze figures, of a boy and a girl with their suitcases, are evocative of the bewilderment that child migrants must have felt on arrival. The sculpture is dedicated to British and Maltese children who ‘left their homelands to brave an unknown future in Western Australia’. (See Hutchison for an image.)
Welcome Walls. Architects: Cox Howlett + Bailey Woodland. An outdoor gallery of the Maritime Museum. These walls - an initiative of the Western Australian Government - pay tribute to the immigrants from many lands and cultures who have made major contributions to the development of the state. The walls were completed in 2005. Migrants, or surviving relatives, were invited to apply to have their names engraved on the 152 stainless steel panels. Other names can still be registered for inclusion. A computer database, 'Passages', is accessible via terminals in the Maritime Museum. This is a dynamic, evolving information source including records of arrivals by sea and archival photographs of the ships and ports from whence they came, and of the people who stepped ashore on Victoria Quay.
Arthur Head
J Shed houses several working artists, and some work may be seen in the 'sculpture garden' outside. (There is also a gallery inside Greg James's studio which is open to the public.)
C.Y. O‘Connor Beach
C.Y. O‘Connor memorial. Artist: Tony Jones. On 10 March 1902, C.Y. O’Connor set out on his customary early morning horseride along the beaches south of the port. He rode past South Beach along the shore, dismounted, waded into the sea and shot himself with a pistol. A metal sculpture - an outline of O’Connor’s figure - now stands in the sea where he committed suicide.
Booyeembara Park
Is this sculpture, presumably of the Wagyl, public art? I don't know who is responsible for it.
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East Street
The 'Rainbow' structure by Marcus Canning is 'art', I suppose. Called 'Containbow' by the local paper (because it's made of shipping containers painted in 'rainbow' colours) it is going to have to move from the East Street/Canning Highway site because it's on a Main Roads reserve, and in 2022 they need to use the area for ramps leading to the new traffic bridge that will replace 1939 wooden one that is no longer fit for purpose. Photo credit: Roel Loopers.
References and Links
See the many links above.
This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 1 December, 2017 and hosted at freotopia.org/arts/publicart.html (it was last updated on 19 April, 2024). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.